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Washington County, Nebraska: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Washington County is 151.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 157 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (58), Rail grade crossing (41), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (19). 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: 41.5367, -96.2686.

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 Washington County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Brain & nervous system	New cases	12.2	6.2	1.97xSignificant	6.7 to 20.6	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	22.6	13	1.74xSignificant	14.2 to 34.2	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	39.2	23.8	1.65xSignificant	28.7 to 52.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	14.1	11.3	1.25x	8.7 to 22	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.4	17.9	1.2x	14.3 to 31.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	21.9	18.5	1.18x	14.4 to 32.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	15.8	13.9	1.14x	9.8 to 24.4	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	493.2	453.4	1.09xSignificant	455.2 to 533.6	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	151.4	143.2	1.06x	131.9 to 173.4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	29.5	30.2	0.98x	21.3 to 40.2	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	17.4	18.7	0.93x	11.2 to 26.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	12.7	14.5	0.88x	7.2 to 21	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	43.1	51.8	0.83x	33.2 to 55.4	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 Washington County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	4,802.1	9,842.6	-51%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	79.9	75.3	+6%	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	51.7	96.9	-47%	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.

Formaldehyde15.82 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.92 per million
Acetaldehyde1.38 per million
Benzene0.82 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 336 days: 291 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 27, peak 132.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)58
Rail grade crossing41
NPDES wastewater discharge permit19
Gas station (mapped facility)10
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Public airport4
Brownfield property3
TRI reporting facility3
Small hazardous waste generator2
Major air pollution source1
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Solar 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.

Cargill Corn Milling North America, Blair
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Acetaldehyde, n-Hexane, Acrolein and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,981,236 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 68008CRGLL650IN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.3
Cargill - Blair Facility, Blair
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110059765696 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.9
Evonik Corp, Blair
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 220,168 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 68008MDWST650IN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Evonik Corporation, Blair
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040981532 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.9
Novozymes Blair Inc, Blair
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid. 77,623 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6811WNVZYM6S1ST (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.8
Novozymes Blair Inc, Blair
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039181079 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Cargill - Blair Facility, Blair
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110059765696 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Cargill - Blair Facility, Blair
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110059765696 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Cargill - Blair Facility, Blair
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110059765696 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Purac America Inc., Blair
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Mercury. 807 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 68008PGL1C650IN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.2
Cargill - Blair Facility, Blair
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110059765696 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Gerhold Concrete Co Blair Plant, Blair
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 68008GRHLD21NIN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
ON ROOF OF GOOD SHEPARD LUTHERAN HOME, Blair
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 311770002 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 3.9
Concrete Equipment Co In C, Blair
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $70,441.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447357 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Concrete Equipment Co In C, Blair
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $70,441.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447357 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Former Atlas "D" Missile Facility S-2, Arlington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038751179 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Herman Fire Station, Herman
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060430742 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
French Oil, Arlington
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071986774 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Concrete Equipment Co In C, Blair
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $70,441.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000447357 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Blair Wastewater Treatment, Blair
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000760258 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Oppd Fort Calhoun Station, Fort Calhoun
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007129623 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Blair Water Treatment Facility, Blair
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000555685 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Arlington Potable Wtp, Arlington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008898559 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Evonik Corporation, Blair
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040981532 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Blair Exec, Blair
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID BTA (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2

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 Washington 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 Washington 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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