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Brookings County, South Dakota: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Brookings County is 128.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 250 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (82), Rail grade crossing (64), Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility) (21). 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: 44.3699, -96.7904.

How this county ranks in South Dakota

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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 Brookings County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	48.3	23.8	2.03xSignificant	37.5 to 61	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	23.7	18.7	1.27x	16.6 to 32.8	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	15.7	14.5	1.08x	10.3 to 23	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	31.8	30.2	1.05x	24 to 41.6	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	18.5	17.9	1.03x	12.1 to 26.9	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	456.9	453.4	1.01x	423.5 to 492.2	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.2	18.5	0.98x	12.2 to 26.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	128.3	143.2	0.9x	111.7 to 146.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	44.1	51.8	0.85x	34.5 to 55.6	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 Brookings County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,178.4	9,842.6	-37%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	79.9	75.3	+6%	years
Child mortality	41.9	59.8	-30%	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	45.4	96.9	-53%	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.

Formaldehyde12.56 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.9 per million
Acetaldehyde1.04 per million
Benzene0.71 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 214 good, 5 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 46, peak 154.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit82
Rail grade crossing64
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)21
Gas station (mapped facility)21
Small hazardous waste generator10
TRI reporting facility8
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)8
Major air pollution source7
Air permit holder (minor source)7
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Wind power plant3
Public airport2
Brownfield property2
Large hazardous waste generator2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Heliport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Gas power plant1
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.

Solventum Brookings, Brookings
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Ethylbenzene, Methanol and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 192,879 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 57006MCMPN60122 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Valero Renewable Fuels Llc*, Aurora
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, n-Hexane, Formic acid, Formaldehyde and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 116,235 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 57002VRSNN1VERA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Novita Aurora Llc, Aurora
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane. 2,705,000 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5700WNVTRR47491 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
South Dakota Soybean Processors, Volga
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane. 2,122,384 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 57071SDKTS100CA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Valero Renewable Fuels Company, Aurora
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043806218 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
South Dakota Soybean Processors, Volga
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000427681 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.1
Novita Aurora, Llc, Aurora
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070156194 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.9
Research Farm
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 460110003 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 6.4
Solventum Us Llc, Brookings
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000427565 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Twin City Fan Cos Brookings, Brookings
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 17 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 57006TWNCT101SU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
Twin City Fan Cos Insbrook, Brookings
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 9 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5700WTWNCT5INSB (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.3
Valero Renewable Fuels Company, Aurora
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043806218 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Prairie Aquatech Manufacturing, Llc, Volga
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070517465 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Daktronics Inc, Brookings
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 57006DKTRN33132 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Twin City Fan Cos Brookings, Brookings
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000427583 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
South Dakota State University, Brookings
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001676197 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Valero Renewable Fuels Company, Aurora
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043806218 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Twin City Fan Companies Ltd., Brookings
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110057070020 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.2
Daktronics Incorporated, Brookings
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000427556 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
South Dakota Soybean Processors, Volga
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000427681 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
B & B Concrete, Inc., Brookings
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001994129 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Volga, City Of, Volga
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009705220 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Prairie Aquatech Manufacturing, Llc, Volga
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070517465 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Solventum Us Llc, Brookings
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000427565 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Valero Renewable Fuels Company, Aurora
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043806218 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8

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 Brookings County

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