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Jefferson County, Oregon: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Jefferson County is 172.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 122 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (39), Rail grade crossing (36), Gas station (mapped facility) (15). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 40 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: 44.6094, -121.0941.

How this county ranks in Oregon

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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
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	38.9	30.2	1.29x	29.6 to 50.5	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	11.2	8.7	1.29x	6.5 to 18.2	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	22.9	18.7	1.22x	16.2 to 31.8	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	172.2	143.2	1.2xSignificant	152 to 194.6	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.1	17.9	1.18x	13.9 to 30.8	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	13.3	11.3	1.18x	8.3 to 20.6	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	13.3	13	1.02x	7.6 to 21.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	52.7	51.8	1.02x	42.3 to 65.3	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.3	18.5	0.99x	12 to 26.9	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	427.6	453.4	0.94x	395.3 to 461.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	11.2	13.9	0.81x	6.7 to 18	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	13.9	23.8	0.58x	8.7 to 21.3	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	12,476.2	9,842.6	+27%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.6	75.3	-2%	years
Child mortality	91.5	59.8	+53%	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	128.1	96.9	+32%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	15.9	28.6	-44%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 40 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde22.36 per million
Naphthalene6.28 per million
Pahpom3.72 per million
Acetaldehyde3.69 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 361 days: 267 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 28, peak 90.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit39
Rail grade crossing36
Gas station (mapped facility)15
Public airport6
Hydroelectric plant5
Major air pollution source3
Air permit holder (minor source)3
Small hazardous waste generator3
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)2
Heliport2
Solar power plant2
TRI reporting facility2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Wastewater plant (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.

Wilbur-Ellis Madras, Madras
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071434525 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Wilbur-Ellis Madras, Madras
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Zinc compounds, Pendimethalin, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution). 748 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 9774WWLBRL5NWCH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.2
Bright Wood Company Llc, Madras
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001655254 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Warm Springs Wwtp, Warm Springs
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055021453 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Bright Wood Company Llc, Madras
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001655254 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Gtn Pipeline Compressor Station 11, Madras
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007389637 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Mid Columbia Lumber, Culver
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000488776 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Bright Wood Corporation, Madras
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Diisocyanates.
TRI facility ID 9774WBRGHT335NW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3
Lake Billy Chinook, Culver
Public airport. O.
Record ID 5S5 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Madras Muni, Madras
Public airport. O.
Record ID S33 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Wastewater Plant
Wastewater plant (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/321227909 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 2
Lake Simtustus Resort, Madras
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110014167579 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Wb&D Technologies Inc, Madras
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000816662 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Keith Mfg Co, Madras
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110004773068 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Pelton Ladder Fish Hatchery, Madras
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110014184453 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Madras High School, Madras
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110021557732 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
North Unit Irrigation District, Madras
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030767409 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Grizzly Estates, Madras
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037753099 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Madras Rv Park, Madras
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037779286 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Round Butte Dam And Fish Hatchery, Madras
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037800350 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
St. Charles Madras, Madras
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069579334 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Wizard Falls State Fish Hatchery, Camp Sherman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069606395 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Keith Manufacturing, Madras
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070048329 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Madras 4-Inch Hp Replacement Project, Madras
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070263224 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Portland General Electric Co Pelton Dam, Madras
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070384880 (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

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