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Richland County, Montana: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Richland County is 177 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 221 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (82), Rail grade crossing (78), Air permit holder (minor source) (35). One correctional facility operates in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 20 in a million, driven mainly by formaldehyde.

Rates are age-adjusted per 100,000 people. A cancer signal is marked significant when the lower bound of its 95 percent confidence interval is above the U.S. rate. Facility counts use active federal records located inside the county boundary. Approximate county center: 47.7675, -104.6388.

How this county ranks in Montana

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Cancer deaths and new cases versus the United States

Source: NCI and CDC State Cancer Profiles, both sexes, all ages. Sorted by the ratio of the county rate to the U.S. rate.

Cancer rates for Richland County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	Deaths	177	143.2	1.24xSignificant	146.5 to 212.4	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	22.3	18.7	1.19x	12.6 to 37	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	58.4	51.8	1.13x	41.1 to 80.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	32.6	30.2	1.08x	20.2 to 50	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	24.2	23.8	1.02x	13.5 to 40.2	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	426.1	453.4	0.94x	376.8 to 480.2	2019-2023

Mortality measures versus the U.S. county median

Source: County Health Rankings, built from CDC National Vital Statistics System death records. The comparison value is the median of all U.S. counties.

Mortality measures for Richland County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,320.6	9,842.6	-15%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.2	75.3	+1%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	n/a	6.2	n/a	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	95.9	96.9	-1%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	n/a	28.6	n/a	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 20 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde11.43 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.86 per million
Benzene0.97 per million
Acetaldehyde0.75 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 273 days: 217 good, 7 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 40, peak 165.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

221 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit82
Rail grade crossing78
Air permit holder (minor source)35
Gas station (mapped facility)7
Public airport4
Hazardous waste transporter3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Coal power plant1
Gas power plant1
Scrapyard (mapped facility)1
TRI reporting facility1

Highest-severity records

The 25 records with the highest Envyrofax severity in the county, with the agency identifier to cite in a records request.

Sidney Sugars Inc, Sidney
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Barium And Barium Compounds, Zinc compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds and 1 more. 568,710 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 59270HLLYSEASTH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Bakken Gas Plant, Sidney
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Methanol, Toluene, Ethylene glycol and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,500 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5927WBKKNG34538 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Sidney Mt Plant, Sidney
Coal power plant.
Record ID 57914 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 6
Sidney Sugar Facility, Sidney
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020342627 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Bakken Gas Plant, Sidney
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110023013647 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Lewis & Clark Station, Sidney
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese compounds, Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)), Lead compounds, Mercury compounds. 954 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 59270LWSCLSOFSI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.3
Sidney-Richland Rgnl, Sidney
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID SDY (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 5
Sidney 201
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 300830002 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.7
Border Steel And Recycling, Sidney
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045381644 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Linde Pit, Sidney
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056150560 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Mitchells Oil Field Services - Sidney, Sidney
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055200973 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Valley Vu Feedlot, Fairview
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011049702 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Sidney Livestock Market Center Llc, Sidney
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011049739 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Lunderby Livestock, Sidney
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110033201096 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
The Udder Cow Company Llc, Savage
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011049855 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Johnson Development - Johnson Fairview Gravel Pit, Fairview
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056150597 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Sidney Sugar Facility, Sidney
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110020342627 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Lambert -West, Lambert
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071644091 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Johnson Pit #2, Fairview
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071541214 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Lewis & Clark, Richland
Gas power plant.
Record ID 6089 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3
Lewis & Clark, Richland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020377019 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Sidney Sugar Facility, Sidney
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064634098 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Strata Corporation - Strata Yellowstone Plant, Fairview
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055112694 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Albin Farms 31x-31, Girard
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $20,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071642621 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Lunderby Livestock, Sidney
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071657285 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

Redwood Park Work Camp Phase 1
EPA FRS registry ID
110063370178
Water system
MT0004871
Health-based violations
1 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
5
Contaminants cited
Revised Total Coliform Rule
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Richland County

Montana state cancer registry
Cancer incidence counts by census tract or ZIP code, by cancer type and year (de-identified). Any cancer cluster inquiries or investigations in Richland County, and their findings.
Montana vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
Montana health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
Montana environmental agency and the U.S. EPA regional office
Compliance history, inspection reports, notices of violation, penalties and enforcement actions for each facility above, cited by EPA FRS registry ID.
Montana drinking water program
Violation notices, sampling results and sanitary surveys for the public water systems serving the county, including any system serving a correctional facility.
Department of corrections or county sheriff
Water testing, grievances and environmental health inspections for the correctional facilities listed above.

Each Envyrofax address report includes a printable records request worksheet with the custodian and the exact request wording per finding.

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