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Custer County, South Dakota: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Custer County is 123.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 70 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (30), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (27), Air permit holder (minor source) (4). 2 correctional facilities operate in the county. EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 10 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: 43.6666, -103.4818.

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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 Custer County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Leukemia	New cases	14.8	14.5	1.02x	8.5 to 28.6	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	18.3	18.7	0.98x	10.6 to 33.5	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	17.5	17.9	0.98x	8.9 to 34	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	123.5	143.2	0.86x	101.8 to 151	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	388.7	453.4	0.86x	344 to 439.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	19.7	23.8	0.83x	11.3 to 35.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	24.5	30.2	0.81x	15.9 to 39.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	33	51.8	0.64x	22.5 to 50.2	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 Custer County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	5,543.4	9,842.6	-44%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	81.5	75.3	+8%	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	112.8	96.9	+16%	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: 10 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde10.49 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.57 per million
Acetaldehyde0.73 per million
Pahpom0.45 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 360 days: 265 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 45, peak 87.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing30
NPDES wastewater discharge permit27
Air permit holder (minor source)4
Brownfield property2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)2
Heliport2
EPA air quality monitor1
Public airport1
Commercial airport1

Highest-severity records

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

Wind Cave
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 460330132 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5
Hermosa - Town Of, Hermosa
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $13,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009705480 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Stender Bulk Property, Custer
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039689094 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Fomer Custer Bulk Site, Cluster
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110061042401 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Nps-Wind Cave National Park, Hot Springs
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028184364 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Trout Haven Ranch, Buffalo Gap
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009791065 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Custer County, Custer
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID CUT (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Custer High School Cte Facility, Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110004950278 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Usnps - Jewel Cave National Monument, Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006663324 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Custer, City Of, Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006692267 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sd Gfp - Hidden Valley (Custer State Park), Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006692588 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Slic-E Holdings, Llc (Biosolids), Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009705079 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sd Gf&P Game Lodge (Custer State Park), Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009705444 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sd Gfp - Legion Lake (Custer State Park), Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009791083 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sd Gfp - Sylvan Lake (Custer State Park), Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009791092 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Sd Gfp - Blue Bell (Custer State Park), Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010443216 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Gold Bug Placer, Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010952308 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Red Shirt Community Lagoon Facility, Red Shirt
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020148366 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Gold Rush Subdivision, Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071279001 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Wastewater Treatment Facility Improvements Phases, Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071320183 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Lawrence Street Rehabilitation, Belle Fourche
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071320697 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Kadoka School Addition, Kadoka
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071323047 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Desperado Ranch Subdivision, Custer
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071323197 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Hermosa Water & Sewer Extension Project, Hermosa
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071325057 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Fairburn Water Source Project, Oral
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071817776 (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.

Csp-Stockade Lake Cg-South, Custer
EPA FRS registry ID
110052865510
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report
Csp-Stockade Lake Cg-North, Custer
EPA FRS registry ID
110052865529
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Custer 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 Custer 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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