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Cass County, Nebraska: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Cass County is 157.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 261 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (105), Air permit holder (minor source) (89), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (26). 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: 40.9261, -96.1509.

How this county ranks in Nebraska

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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 Cass County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Brain & nervous system	New cases	11.2	6.2	1.81xSignificant	6.4 to 18.4	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	32.9	23.8	1.38xSignificant	24.3 to 43.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	24.2	18.5	1.31x	17.1 to 33.5	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	22.9	17.9	1.28x	16.2 to 31.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	33.8	30.2	1.12x	25.8 to 43.7	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	157.4	143.2	1.1x	139 to 177.7	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	56.8	51.8	1.1x	46.4 to 69.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	9.1	8.7	1.05x	5.4 to 14.8	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.8	11.3	1.04x	7.4 to 18.3	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	468.8	453.4	1.03x	436.2 to 503.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13.9	13.9	1x	9.1 to 20.7	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	18.5	18.7	0.99x	12.8 to 26.3	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	13.6	14.5	0.94x	8.3 to 21.2	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	11.6	13	0.89x	6.5 to 19.1	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 Cass County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,015.2	9,842.6	-29%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78.1	75.3	+4%	years
Child mortality	48.1	59.8	-19%	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	72.3	96.9	-25%	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.

Formaldehyde16.03 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde1.36 per million
Benzene0.81 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 339 days: 325 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 19, peak 64.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing105
Air permit holder (minor source)89
NPDES wastewater discharge permit26
Gas station (mapped facility)16
Public airport4
Brownfield property3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Major air pollution source2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Small hazardous waste generator2
TRI reporting facility2
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
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.

Ash Grove Cement Company, Louisville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000596793 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.6
Ash Grove Cement Co, Louisville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Ammonia, Mercury compounds, Chromium and 2 more. 666,500 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 68037SHGRVJUNCT (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.5
Ash Grove Cement Company, Louisville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000596793 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Ash Grove Cement Company, Louisville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000596793 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Plattsmouth Burn Site, Plattsmouth
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039835499 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Ash Grove Cement Company, Louisville
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000596793 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Forterra Concrete Products - Plattsmouth, Plattsmouth
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 6804WFRTRR369WI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Pcs Phosphate Co Inc, Weeping Water
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 68463TXSGLBOX17 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Pcs Phosphate Company Incorporated, Weeping Water
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000606498 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Greenwood Interchange Sid Wwtf, Greenwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008929080 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Oppd Cass County Station, Plattsmouth
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015683786 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Cass County, Plattsmouth
Gas power plant.
Record ID 55972 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3.3
Plattsmouth Burn Site, Plattsmouth
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110039835499 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Former Atlas, Weeping Water
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071967165 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
People'S Natural Gas, Centel, Inc., Plattsmouth
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071967169 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Rhylander Park, Plattsmouth
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071969442 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
South Park Townhome Association, Plattsmouth
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006579489 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Greenwood Burn Site, Greenwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006579700 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Greenwood Burn Site, Greenwood
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110006579700 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Avoca Burn Site, Avoca
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006579773 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Weeping Water Wastewater Treat, Weeping Water
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010167942 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Eagle Lake Subdivision Wwtf, Eagle
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015682162 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Oppd Cass County Station, Plattsmouth
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015683786 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Sid #5 Cass Co - Buccaneer Bay, Plattsmouth
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008886740 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Elmwood Wastewater Treatment Facility, Elmwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008930880 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3

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 Cass County

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