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McKenzie County, North Dakota: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in McKenzie County is 103 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 482 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (211), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (147), Brownfield property (26). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 30 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: 47.7226, -103.343.

How this county ranks in North Dakota

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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 McKenzie County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	New cases	334.3	453.4	0.74x	287.3 to 386.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	103	143.2	0.72x	77.5 to 133.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	27.7	51.8	0.53x	15.7 to 44.9	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 McKenzie County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	13,744.2	9,842.6	+40%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	74.3	75.3	-1%	years
Child mortality	115.4	59.8	+93%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	13	6.2	+109%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	122.9	96.9	+27%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	39.6	28.6	+38%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 30 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde26.9 per million
Benzene3.33 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.86 per million
Acetaldehyde0.74 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 295 good, 6 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 39, peak 197.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)211
NPDES wastewater discharge permit147
Brownfield property26
Major air pollution source23
Rail grade crossing17
Gas station (mapped facility)11
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)11
TRI reporting facility10
Hazardous waste transporter6
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Scrapyard (mapped facility)4
Public airport3
Landfill (mapped facility)3
Small hazardous waste generator2
EPA air quality monitor1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1
Gas 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.

Oneok Rockies Midstream Llc - Grasslands Gas Plant, Alexander
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen sulfide, n-Hexane, Cyclohexane, Toluene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 39,005,373 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5883WNKRCK161BE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Watford City Plant, Alexander
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Xylene (mixed isomers), Toluene, Benzene and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 45,599 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5883WWTFRD35714 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Little Missouri Gas Plant, Watford City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Benzene, Formaldehyde, n-Hexane, Toluene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 26,973 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5885WLTTLM19391 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Wild Basin Gas Processing &Crude Handling Facility, Watford City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Benzene, Methanol, Cyclohexane and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 25,517 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5885WWLDBS12173 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Garden Creek Gas Plant, Watford City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Benzene, Methanol, Cyclohexane. Reports carcinogens. 19,418 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5885WGRDNC37121 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Red Wing Creek Ii Gas Plant, Arnegard
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Benzene, Cyclohexane, Toluene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 16,682 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5883WRDWNG14814 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Arrow Cdp, Keene
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Ethylbenzene, Benzene. Reports carcinogens. 14,983 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5884WRRWCD172HI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Demicks Lake Gas Plant, Watford City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Benzene, Methanol. Reports carcinogens. 14,713 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5885WDMCKS11242 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Bear Den Gas Plant, Watford City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Cyclohexane, Benzene, Toluene and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 5,657 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5885WBRDNG2671C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Lonesome Creek Gas Plant, Alexander
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Benzene. Reports carcinogens. 5,027 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5883WLNSMC24791 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Roosevelt Gas Plant, Watford City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Methanol, Benzene. Reports carcinogens. 4,755 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5885WRSVLT1252B (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Oneok Rockies Midstream Llc - Grasslands Gas Plant, Alexander
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071394077 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Watford City Plant, Alexander
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043817064 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Little Missouri Gas Plant, Watford City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064399574 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Red Wing Creek Gas Plant Ii, Arnegard
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069454307 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Wild Basin Gas Processing And Crude Handling Facility, Watford City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069619899 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Garden Creek Gas Plant, Watford City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044761415 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Demicks Lake Gas Plant, Watford City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071398244 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Lonesome Creek Gas Plant, Alexander
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069291947 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Bear Den Gas Plant, Watford City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071434433 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Roosevelt Gas Plant, Watford City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071424989 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Targa- Clark'S Creek Compressor Station, Keene
Major air pollution source. Penalties $3,234,219.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067427582 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Tat-Blue Buttes Compressor Station, Mckenzie County
Major air pollution source. Penalties $250,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070551345 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Eog- Clarks Creek Central Facility, Mandaree
Major air pollution source. Penalties $333,087.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070551554 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
TRNP-NU
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 380530002 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.3

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 McKenzie 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 McKenzie 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.

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