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Rio Arriba County, New Mexico: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Rio Arriba County is 122.6 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Liver & bile duct deaths at 1.8 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 316 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (131), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (61), Scrapyard (mapped facility) (36). One correctional facility operates in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. 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: 36.4647, -106.7825.

How this county ranks in New Mexico

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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 Rio Arriba County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	11.7	6.6	1.77xSignificant	8.2 to 16.6	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	6.6	4.6	1.43x	3.9 to 10.7	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	11.6	8.7	1.33x	8.1 to 16.4	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	13	13	1x	8.4 to 19.1	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	15.6	17.9	0.87x	10.9 to 21.6	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	122.6	143.2	0.86x	110.1 to 136.4	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	8.1	11.3	0.72x	5.3 to 12.1	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	9.9	13.9	0.71x	6.7 to 14.3	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	312.7	453.4	0.69x	291.5 to 335.1	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	11.4	18.7	0.61x	8 to 16.1	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	7.7	14.5	0.53x	4.6 to 12.2	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	9.2	18.5	0.5x	6 to 13.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	14.5	30.2	0.48x	10.7 to 19.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	22.3	51.8	0.43x	17.3 to 28.6	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	7.2	23.8	0.3x	4.4 to 11.4	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 Rio Arriba County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	21,299.5	9,842.6	+116%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	69.3	75.3	-8%	years
Child mortality	60.5	59.8	+1%	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	212.5	96.9	+119%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	111.2	28.6	+289%	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.

Formaldehyde10.33 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.4 per million
Acetaldehyde0.77 per million
Benzene0.49 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 359 days: 306 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 44, peak 87.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)131
NPDES wastewater discharge permit61
Scrapyard (mapped facility)36
Gas station (mapped facility)25
Rail grade crossing16
Major air pollution source8
Brownfield property8
Public airport6
Small hazardous waste generator6
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
Solar power plant3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
EPA air quality monitor2
Hazardous waste transporter2
Hydroelectric plant2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Industrial wastewater discharge1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Superfund (NPL) site1

Highest-severity records

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

North Railroad Avenue Plume, Espanola
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID NMD986670156 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Espanola, City Of, Espanola
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039938583 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Russell Sand & Gravel Co., Inc., Los Ojos
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017751869 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Abiquiu Mdwca & Mswa, Abiquiu
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110012664740 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Arriba Concrete And Constr Inc, Chama
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022788508 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Gallegos Scrap Metal, Espanola
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067433913 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Bartolome Sanchez Site, Espanola
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071081786 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Bartolome Sanchez Site, Espanola
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071408348 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Carracas Cdp Compressor Station, Blanco
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007012972 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
30-5 Cdp Compressor Station, Blanco
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007013150 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
29-6 No4 Cdp Compressor Station, Blanco
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007017833 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
La Jara Compressor Station, Bloomfield
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007017860 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Frances Mesa Vv Compressor Station, Blanco
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007030293 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Los Mestenios, Ojito
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013989498 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Trunk L Compressor Station, Gobernador
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022692086 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Rincon Compressor Station, Counselor
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110061082821 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Dulce Wastewater Treat.Plt., Dulce
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013676290 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Bridges Radiator Shop, Espanola
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013799568 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Old Espanola Landfill, Espanola
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064709668 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Santa Clara Judicial Complex, Española
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071965089 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Hunter Arts & Agricultural Center, Española
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071965554 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former El Rio Theater, Espanola
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071971717 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Valmora Hacienda, Alcalde
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973940 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
City Hall, Chama
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071977579 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Santa Clara Pueblo Wetlands, Espanola
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071982203 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) 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.

Rio Arriba County Detention Center
EPA FRS registry ID
110049295954
Water system
NM3580121
Health-based violations
1 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
25
Contaminants cited
Groundwater Rule
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Rio Arriba County

New Mexico 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 Rio Arriba County, and their findings.
New Mexico vital statistics office
Death certificate counts by cause of death and residence tract or ZIP code, and the years behind the mortality measures above.
New Mexico health department, environmental epidemiology
Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.
New Mexico 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.
New Mexico 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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