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Jefferson County, Nebraska: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Jefferson County is 184.9 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 160 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (84), Air permit holder (minor source) (42), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (12). 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: 40.1759, -97.1428.

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 Jefferson County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Leukemia	New cases	35.1	14.5	2.42xSignificant	18.5 to 60.6	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	184.9	143.2	1.29xSignificant	150.8 to 225.7	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	486.5	453.4	1.07x	424.4 to 556	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	31.1	30.2	1.03x	19.3 to 49.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	41.2	51.8	0.8x	27.5 to 61.8	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 Jefferson County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,589.9	9,842.6	-23%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.6	75.3	+2%	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	78.7	96.9	-19%	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.

Formaldehyde15.35 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.88 per million
Acetaldehyde1.26 per million
Benzene0.63 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing84
Air permit holder (minor source)42
NPDES wastewater discharge permit12
Gas station (mapped facility)5
Brownfield property4
Small hazardous waste generator3
TRI reporting facility2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Major air pollution source1
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Heliport1
Wind 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.

Loveland Products Inc, Fairbury
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Zinc compounds, Manganese compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 185,889 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 68352GLPCHPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Endicott Clay Products Co Inc, Endicott
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen fluoride, Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Manganese compounds and 4 more. 231,698 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 68352NDCTTE6MIH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Endicott Clay Products Co, Endicott
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447776 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Loveland Products, Fairbury
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447767 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Endicott Clay Products Co, Endicott
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447776 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Fairbury Wastewater Treatment Facility, Fairbury
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039894086 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Petersen Gas N Wash, Fairbury
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045751575 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Fairbury Fmgp Site, Fairbury
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110046368541 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Pollman'S Heating And Air, Fairbury
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071978388 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Fairbury Iron And Metal, Fairbury
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072111300 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Endicott Clay Products Co, Endicott
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447776 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Diller Wastewater Treatment, Diller
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009840636 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Tetra Micronutrients, Fairbury
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070690111 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Harbine Wastewater Treatment, Harbine
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010828382 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Fairbury Muni, Fairbury
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID FBY (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Fairbury Municipal Power Plant, Fairbury
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001510286 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Plymouth Ibc Services, Plymouth
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001515361 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Westin Packaged Meats, Inc., Fairbury
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006587924 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Jansen Wastewater Treatment, Jansen
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011035726 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Facility, Plymouth
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011035815 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
We-Design Manufacturing, Plymouth
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022831300 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Prairie Egg Ranch, Plymouth
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028155939 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Roode Feedyards Llc, Fairbury
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037602733 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Classic Dairy, Inc., Jansen
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110045844618 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Fairbury Wwtf, Fairbury
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070003894 (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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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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