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Wells County, North Dakota: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Wells County is 104.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 690 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (544), Rail grade crossing (91), Air permit holder (minor source) (40). One correctional facility operates in the county. 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: 47.5696, -99.6494.

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 Wells County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	New cases	396.8	453.4	0.88x	326.4 to 480.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	104.3	143.2	0.73x	72.7 to 149.3	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 Wells County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	4,966.3	9,842.6	-50%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	80	75.3	+6%	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	98.3	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.

Formaldehyde11.06 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
Acetaldehyde0.81 per million
Benzene0.7 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

No EPA air quality monitor reports daily AQI for this county.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit544
Rail grade crossing91
Air permit holder (minor source)40
Brownfield property6
Public airport5
Gas station (mapped facility)2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Heliport1

Highest-severity records

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

Cathay City Of, Cathay
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056167026 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Harvey Armory, Harvey
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011045555 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Bank Building, Heaton
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039688914 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Store Building, Heaton
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071970374 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Old Napa Building, Harvey
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071971459 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Genuine Parts Building, Harvey
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071971462 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Old Cathay School, Cathay
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071976543 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Bowdon City Of, Bowdon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011044896 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Sykeston City Of, Sykeston
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056176953 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Central Plains Water District, Fessenden
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011042228 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Harvey Armory, Harvey
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011045555 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Brookstone Property, Unknown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,136.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070940492 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Fessenden City Of, Fessenden
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011044075 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Hurdsfield City Of, Hurdsfield
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011043799 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Harvey Muni, Harvey
Public airport. O.
Record ID 5H4 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Fessenden-Streibel Muni, Fessenden
Public airport. O.
Record ID D24 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Susag Sand & Gravel, Inc. - Plant C2, Harvey
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011042166 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Canadian Pacific Railway-Harvey, Harvey
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056166811 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Harvey Municipal Airport, Harvey
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063047171 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Fessenden Municipal Airport, Fessenden
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070002075 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Mclean County Water Resource District, Unknown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070211817 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Borden Harbor, Unknown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070212639 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Cavalier County Water Resource Board, Unknown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070213371 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Ward County Weed Control, Unknown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070214745 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Grand Forks Public Health, Unknown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070215952 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5

Correctional facilities

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

Nd Dept Of Corrections And Rehabilitation, Unknown
EPA FRS registry ID
110071782258
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Wells 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 Wells 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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