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Rosebud County, Montana: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Rosebud County is 172.1 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 183 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (69), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (43), Brownfield property (42). 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: 46.0428, -106.5653.

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 Rosebud County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	Deaths	172.1	143.2	1.2x	135.5 to 215.8	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	501	453.4	1.1x	436.6 to 572.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	34.2	51.8	0.66x	20.2 to 55.2	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 Rosebud County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	24,379.9	9,842.6	+148%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	65.9	75.3	-12%	years
Child mortality	102.3	59.8	+71%	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	204.4	96.9	+111%	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.

Formaldehyde10.36 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.73 per million
Acetaldehyde0.96 per million
Pahpom0.69 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 98 days: 96 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 11, peak 68.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing69
NPDES wastewater discharge permit43
Brownfield property42
Gas station (mapped facility)8
EPA air quality monitor4
Major air pollution source3
Public airport3
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Coal power plant2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Large hazardous waste generator1
Small hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Landfill (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.

Colstrip Steam Electric Station, Colstrip
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium And Barium Compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Vanadium compounds, Dichloromethane and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 40,243,770 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 59323MNTNPWILLO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Colstrip Energy Lp Rosebud Power Plant, Colstrip
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium And Barium Compounds, Hydrogen fluoride, Zinc compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 753,060 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 59323RSBDPPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9
Colstrip, Colstrip
Coal power plant.
Record ID 6076 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 7.5
Ppl Colstrip Steam Electric Station, Colstrip
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041982520 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Ppl Colstrip Rosebud Power Plant, Colstrip
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041886144 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Colstrip Energy Lp, Colstrip
Coal power plant.
Record ID 10784 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 6
Rosebud County Western Energy Mine, Colstrip
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040987536 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Ppl Colstrip Rosebud Power Plant, Colstrip
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041886144 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Northern Cheyenne Utility Commission Wastewater Treatment Plant, Lame Deer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110004010748 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Ppl Colstrip Rosebud Power Plant, Colstrip
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041886144 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
City Of Colstrip - Castle Rock Lake Pesticide, Colstrip
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045498528 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Oftedal Construction Inc, Colstrip
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063914778 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ppl Colstrip Steam Electric Station, Colstrip
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041982520 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
St Labre Indian School, Ashland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000836105 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Williston Basin - Hathaway Station, Hathaway
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020345401 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Ppl Colstrip Steam Electric Station, Colstrip
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041982520 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Ppl Colstrip Steam Electric Station, Colstrip
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041982520 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Lame Deer Transfer Station Site, Lame Deer
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038691886 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Tongue River Lumber Facility, Ashland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045009780 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Our Store, Forsyth
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071964410 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Old Fox Station, Forsyth
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071964414 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Forsyth Meth House, Forsyth
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071964720 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Food Bank Building, Lame Deer
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071964904 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Cady'S Store, Lame Deer
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071964913 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Business Building, Lame Deer
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071966418 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3

Correctional facilities

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

No correctional facility with an EPA record is located in this county.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Rosebud 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 Rosebud 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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