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Colfax County, Nebraska: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Colfax County is 146.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 100 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (34), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (31), Rail grade crossing (23). 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: 41.5598, -97.0793.

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 Colfax County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
All cancer	Deaths	146.5	143.2	1.02x	116.2 to 182.4	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	441.7	453.4	0.97x	387.6 to 501.4	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	49.9	51.8	0.96x	33.3 to 72.1	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 Colfax County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	4,195.2	9,842.6	-57%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	82	75.3	+9%	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	50.8	96.9	-48%	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.

Formaldehyde14.31 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.89 per million
Acetaldehyde1.16 per million
Ethylene Oxide1 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)34
NPDES wastewater discharge permit31
Rail grade crossing23
Brownfield property3
Gas station (mapped facility)3
Major air pollution source2
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
TRI reporting facility1
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)1
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)1

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 Meat Solutions Corp, Schuyler
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Hydrogen sulfide, Nitric acid and 1 more. 7,595,579 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 68661XCLCRWESTH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Cargill Meat Solutions, Schuyler
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000596908 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Cargill Meat Solutions, Schuyler
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000596908 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Columbus Terminal, Columbus
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010161127 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Proposed Schuyler Industrial Park, Schuyler
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043315123 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Abandoned Grain Elevator, Schuyler
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072252624 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Municipal Power Plant, Schuyler
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072252625 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Cargill Meat Solutions, Schuyler
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000596908 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Clarkson Wwtf, Clarkson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009720819 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Cargill Meat Solutions, Schuyler
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000596908 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Howells Waste Water Treatment Facility, Howells
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007128651 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Wastewater Plant
Wastewater plant (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/1546553453 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 2
A. Glenn Kluck Co., Richland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006561755 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Mcafee Farms, Inc., Leigh
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006568428 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
John Kasik Feedyard, Schuyler
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006596077 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Mark Kratochvil Livestock, Clarkson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006596086 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sobota Cattle Company, Llc, Schuyler
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006596102 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Lazy J Land & Cattle Feedyards, Schuyler
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006614805 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Howells Waste Water Treatment Facility, Howells
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110007128651 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Rick Wendt Livestock, Clarkson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008899763 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Double J Farm & Feedlot Inc, Schuyler
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008948782 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Richland Wastewater Treatment, Richland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011033611 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Schuyler Wastewater Treatment, Schuyler
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011035879 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Folken Feed Yards, Ltd., Leigh
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028118132 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Cedar Hill Cattle, Inc., Howells
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028118640 (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.

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

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Colfax 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 Colfax 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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