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Dawson County, Nebraska: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Dawson County is 144.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 300 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (109), Rail grade crossing (71), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (47). 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: 40.8657, -99.8251.

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 Dawson County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Bladder	New cases	24.6	18.7	1.32x	17.2 to 34.4	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	16.9	14.5	1.17x	10.8 to 25.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12.4	11.3	1.1x	7.2 to 20	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	19.8	18.5	1.07x	12.8 to 29.2	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	13.6	13	1.05x	8 to 21.8	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	144.3	143.2	1.01x	125.2 to 165.5	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	402.9	453.4	0.89x	370.1 to 438	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	20.6	23.8	0.87x	13.7 to 29.9	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	25.6	30.2	0.85x	18 to 35.4	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	11.1	13.9	0.8x	6.5 to 17.9	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	35.2	51.8	0.68x	26.2 to 46.6	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 Dawson County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,719.7	9,842.6	-22%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.4	75.3	+3%	years
Child mortality	67.3	59.8	+13%	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	76.7	96.9	-21%	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.

Formaldehyde12.43 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.78 per million
Acetaldehyde0.89 per million
Benzene0.55 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)109
Rail grade crossing71
NPDES wastewater discharge permit47
Gas station (mapped facility)21
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)10
Small hazardous waste generator8
Brownfield property7
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Major air pollution source4
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Commercial airport3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Heliport1
Solar power plant1
Scrapyard (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.

Tyson Fresh Meats Inc, Lexington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Hydrogen sulfide, Peracetic acid and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 11,047,924 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 68850BPNCX1500S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.9
Chief Ethanol Fuels Inc., Lexington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Acetaldehyde, Cyclohexane, Benzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 95,463 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6885WCHFTH1111E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc, Lexington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000760276 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.9
Chief Ethanol Fuels, Inc., Lexington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069243278 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
South Frontier Facility, Lexington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070058067 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.6
Curbtender Inc., Gothenburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 69138BLDWN300WE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Unverferth Manufacturing Co Inc - Lexington Div -, Lexington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese. 66 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6885WSTHFR62EAS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.4
Unverferth Manufacturing Co, Lexington
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000448383 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.4
Unverferth Manufacturing Co Inc - Lexington Div -, Lexington
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese. 46 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 68850RTHMNRR2XX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.3
Lexington Wastewater Treatment, Lexington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007129552 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Baldwin Filters Inc, Gothenburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001514549 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Mrk Inc Truck Wash, Lexington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110057087735 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Tenneco Automotive Operating Co Inc, Cozad
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000448533 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc, Lexington
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000760276 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Tigt Lexington Compressor Sta, Lexington
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001507487 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Nppd Canaday Geerating Station, Lexington
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001979477 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc.-Lexington, Lexington
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $150,668.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070288203 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Cozad Middle School, Cozad
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045792022 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Rialto Theater, Cozad
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071970925 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Cozad Ball Complex, Cozad
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973404 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Cozad Development Corporation Site, Cozad
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071980430 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Tenneco Facility, Cozad
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071982435 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Travel Center Truck Stop, Cozad
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071983535 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Cozad City Park, Cozad
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071986034 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Tenneco Automotive Operating Co Inc, Cozad
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000448533 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 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 Dawson 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 Dawson 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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