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Phelps County, Nebraska: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Phelps County is 139.1 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 150 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (51), Rail grade crossing (44), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (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: 40.5213, -99.4118.

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 Phelps County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	New cases	54.7	51.8	1.06x	38 to 77.3	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	139.1	143.2	0.97x	112.8 to 170.6	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	412.8	453.4	0.91x	361.3 to 470.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	21.7	30.2	0.72x	12.3 to 36.7	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 Phelps County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,340.2	9,842.6	-36%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78.6	75.3	+4%	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	95.6	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.

Formaldehyde12.91 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.79 per million
Acetaldehyde0.94 per million
Benzene0.5 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)51
Rail grade crossing44
NPDES wastewater discharge permit23
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)10
Gas station (mapped facility)6
Brownfield property4
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Major air pollution source2
Public airport2
TRI reporting facility2
Commercial airport1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Small hazardous waste generator1

Highest-severity records

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

Embecta - Holdrege, Holdrege
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2-Dichloroethylene. 95,010 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6894WMBCTX1329W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.8
Becton Dickinson Co Holdrege, Holdrege
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2-Dichloroethylene. 31,181 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 68949BCTNDWESTH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Embecta, Holdrege
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071434335 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Allmand Brothers Inc, Holdrege
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001516707 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.7
Allmand Brothers, Holdrege
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene glycol. 133 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6894WLLMND152W4 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.6
Tigt Holdrege Compressor Station, Holdrege
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007128900 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Bertrand Compressor Station, Loomis
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030750186 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Atlanta Elevator Inc, Atlanta
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001512088 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Midtown Sculpture Garden, Holdrege
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071983544 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Funk Ball Field, Funk
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071985988 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Greg Vandell Farm Ground, Funk
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071985990 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Embecta Corp., Holdrege
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071261761 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Holdrege Wastewater Treatment, Holdrege
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006584909 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Holdrege Wastewater Treatment, Holdrege
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110006584909 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Brewster Fld, Holdrege
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID HDE (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Allmand Brothers Inc, Holdrege
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001516707 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Speedway Trasportation, Holdrege
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110004074661 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Mcclymont Feed Yard, Holdrege
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006556128 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Titan Machinery - Holdrege, Holdrege
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007679556 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
R. D. O. Inc Feedlot, Holdrege
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110027228765 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
37 Land & Cattle Co Inc, Holdrege
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028119523 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Linder Stock Farms Inc, Loomis
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110033200881 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Rodney Waller Feedlot, Holdrege
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037095318 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Dahlgren Cattle Co., Bertrand
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037940048 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
South Central Feeders Inc, Bertrand
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040084618 (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 Phelps 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 Phelps 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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