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Hughes County, South Dakota: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Hughes County is 155.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 125 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (60), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (40), Brownfield property (6). One correctional facility operates in the county. 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: 44.3231, -99.9103.

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 Hughes County compared with the United States
CancerMeasureCounty rateU.S. rateTimes U.S.95% intervalYears
Melanoma of the skinNew cases47.223.81.98xSignificant34.7 to 62.92019-2023
BladderNew cases31.118.71.66xSignificant21.8 to 43.42019-2023
PancreasDeaths17.211.31.52x10.7 to 26.82020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNew cases21.318.51.15x13.4 to 32.42019-2023
Lung & bronchusDeaths33.530.21.11x23.7 to 46.32020-2024
All cancerDeaths155.5143.21.09x133.3 to 180.62020-2024
All cancerNew cases476.7453.41.05x436.1 to 520.42019-2023
Lung & bronchusNew cases54.251.81.05x41.3 to 70.12019-2023
PancreasNew cases14.513.91.04x8.7 to 23.42019-2023

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 Hughes County
MeasureCountyU.S. medianDifferenceUnit
Premature death10,072.29,842.6+2%years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy75.775.3+1%years
Child mortality102.759.8+72%deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortalityn/a6.2n/adeaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths81.996.9-16%deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deathsn/a28.6n/adeaths 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.

  • Formaldehyde10.74 per million
  • Carbon Tetrachloride2.88 per million
  • Acetaldehyde0.76 per million
  • Benzene0.57 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 358 days: 333 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 18, peak 112.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

  • Rail grade crossing60
  • NPDES wastewater discharge permit40
  • Brownfield property6
  • Gas station (mapped facility)5
  • Air permit holder (minor source)4
  • Major air pollution source1
  • EPA air quality monitor1
  • Commercial airport1
  • Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
  • Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
  • Heliport1
  • Landfill (mapped facility)1
  • Hydroelectric plant1
  • Solar power plant1
  • Scrapyard (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.

  1. Pierre Rgnl, Pierre

    Commercial airport. O.

    Record ID PIR (FAA / U.S. DOT)

    Severity 5

  2. Pierre Wwtp, Pierre

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110002041709 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 3.8

  3. Pierre Regional Landfill, Pierre

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110034170581 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 3.5

  4. Big Bend Structures, Harrold

    Brownfield property.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110071969224 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record

    Severity 3

  5. City Hall, Pierre

    Brownfield property.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110071974516 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record

    Severity 3

  6. Hughes County Building, Pierre

    Brownfield property.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110071978191 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record

    Severity 3

  7. Former Pryntcomm Property, Pierre

    Brownfield property.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110071978193 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record

    Severity 3

  8. Beck Property, Pierre

    Brownfield property.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110071982120 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record

    Severity 3

  9. Old City Hall, Pierre

    Brownfield property.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110071986087 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record

    Severity 3

  10. Pierre Regional Landfill, Pierre

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110034170581 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 3

  11. Pierre Airport, Pierre

    EPA air quality monitor.

    Record ID 460650003 (U.S. EPA AirData)

    Severity 2.8

  12. Landfill

    Landfill (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.

    Record ID way/561578105 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record

    Severity 2

  13. Oahe, Pierre

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006887388 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.8

  14. Blunt, City Of, Blunt

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110071711236 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.8

  15. Blunt- City Of, Blunt

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006663217 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.5

  16. Sddot, Pierre

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110009790618 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.5

  17. Spring Creek Sanitary District, Pierre

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110009790798 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.5

  18. Pierre, City Of (Biosolids), Pierre

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110009792518 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.5

  19. Harrold, Town Of, Harrold

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010952460 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.5

  20. T.F. Riggs High School Addition & Renovation, Pierre

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110021728512 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.5

  21. Big Bend Lagoon System, Fort Thompson

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110028184845 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.5

  22. Pierre, City Of (Wtp), Pierre

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110041930550 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.5

  23. Farm Island Recreation Area, Pierre

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110070564521 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.5

  24. Scooter'S Coffee Drive-Thru, Pierre

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110071275242 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 1.5

  25. Denali Ridge Apartments, Pierre

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110071277755 (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.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Hughes 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 Hughes 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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