ND / county FIPS 38017 / county research

Cass County, North Dakota: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Cass County is 131.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 1,090 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (480), Rail grade crossing (332), Gas station (mapped facility) (77). 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: 46.9346, -97.2365.

How this county ranks in North Dakota

View on the heat map Scan an address in this county

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 Cass County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	54.8	23.8	2.3xSignificant	50 to 60	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	18.2	13	1.4xSignificant	15.5 to 21.3	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	7.1	5.7	1.25x	5.4 to 9.2	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	18	14.5	1.24xSignificant	15.3 to 21.1	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	5.7	4.6	1.24x	4.3 to 7.4	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	22.3	18.5	1.21xSignificant	19.3 to 25.7	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.2	4.4	1.18x	3.9 to 6.9	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	527.5	453.4	1.16xSignificant	512.4 to 542.9	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3.9	3.4	1.15x	2.7 to 5.5	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	12.8	11.3	1.13x	10.6 to 15.4	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	15.3	13.9	1.1x	12.8 to 18.1	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	4	3.7	1.08x	2.8 to 5.5	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	55.9	51.8	1.08x	51.1 to 61.1	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7	6.6	1.06x	5.4 to 9	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	19.7	18.7	1.05x	16.9 to 22.8	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	18.1	17.9	1.01x	15.4 to 21.2	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	6.3	6.6	0.95x	4.7 to 8.2	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	28.7	30.2	0.95x	25.3 to 32.5	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	131.5	143.2	0.92x	124.1 to 139.2	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5.6	6.2	0.9x	4.2 to 7.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7.5	8.7	0.86x	5.8 to 9.5	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	11.7	16.4	0.71x	7.3 to 17.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	3.3	4.8	0.69x	2.3 to 4.8	2020-2024
Stomach	Deaths	1.7	2.7	0.63x	1 to 2.8	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	2.4	4.1	0.59x	1.5 to 3.7	2020-2024

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 Cass County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,730	9,842.6	-32%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	79.1	75.3	+5%	years
Child mortality	46.4	59.8	-22%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	5.4	6.2	-12%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	61.7	96.9	-36%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	15.4	28.6	-46%	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.

Formaldehyde12.88 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride3 per million
Benzene1.24 per million
Acetaldehyde1.08 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 361 days: 275 good, 11 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 37, peak 192.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

1,090 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit480
Rail grade crossing332
Gas station (mapped facility)77
Air permit holder (minor source)39
Small hazardous waste generator30
Public airport22
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)21
Brownfield property20
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)18
TRI reporting facility16
Large hazardous waste generator10
Major air pollution source6
Scrapyard (mapped facility)5
Heliport3
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Oil-fired power plant1

Highest-severity records

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

Cargill Inc, West Fargo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Thiols, C8-20, γ-ω-perfluoro, telomers with acrylamide, 1-Propanesulfonic acid, 2-methyl-, 2-[[1-oxo-3-[(γ-ω-perfluoro-C4-16-alkyl)thio]propyl]amino] derivs., sodium salts, 1-Propanaminium, 2-hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethyl-, 3-[(γ-ω-perfluoro-C6-20-alkyl)thio] derivs., chlorides. Reports PFAS. 500,246 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 58078CRGLL2507T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.9
Tharaldson Ethanol Plant I Llc, Casselton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formic acid, Acetaldehyde, n-Hexane, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 278,039 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5801WTHRLD35491 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.7
Marvin Composites Llc, Fargo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 31,222 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 58102TCTNX44011 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Truenorth Steel, West Fargo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 27,991 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 58078DMNDS42EMA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Truenorth Steel - Fargo, Fargo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene. Reports carcinogens. 2,347 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5810WTRNRT441MA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Cnh Industrial America Llc, Fargo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Copper, Nickel, Chromium and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,176 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 58108STGRT34011 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain Llc, West Fargo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Manganese. Reports carcinogens. 1,371 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5807WCTRPL1262W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Cnh America Llc, Fargo
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $8,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012478407 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.7
North Dakota Soybean Processors (Ndsp), Casselton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane. 57,070 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5801WNRTHD15445 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Cargill, Inc. - Cargill Oilseeds Processing - Aq, West Fargo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012478390 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Tharaldson Ethanol, Casselton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038887915 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
North Dakota Soybean Processors (Ndsp), Casselton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071680155 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Trail King Industries Inc., West Fargo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Chromium, Manganese, Copper. Reports carcinogens. 100 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5807WTRLKN2133R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6
Marvin Composites Llc, Fargo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000825750 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Arcosa Tanks, Llc ( Arcosa ) - Arcosa Tanks, West Fargo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110004068598 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
FARGO NW
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 380171004 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5.7
Holcim - Mwr Inc. Fargo Ready Mix, Fargo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds. 2,860 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 58102GGRGT15AGG (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend Llc West Fargo, West Fargo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Lead, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene. Reports carcinogens. 25 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 58078KCHMT600CE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.6
Trail King Industries, West Fargo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031417143 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Strata Concrete West Fargo, West Fargo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 12 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5807WSTRTC2112A (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4
Aggregate Industries Fargo Ready Mix, Fargo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037143819 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain Llc, West Fargo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060259401 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Cnh America Llc, Fargo
Major air pollution source. Penalties $8,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012478407 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Hector Intl, Fargo
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID FAR (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 5
Fargo City Of, Fargo
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $56,266.
EPA FRS registry ID 110049927775 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8

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 Cass County

North Dakota 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 Cass County, and their findings.
North Dakota vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
North Dakota health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
North Dakota 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.
North Dakota 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.

Scan an address in Cass County View on the heat map All North Dakota counties