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Adams County, Washington: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Adams County is 116.5 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 179 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (109), Gas station (mapped facility) (21), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (15). 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: 46.9869, -118.4709.

How this county ranks in Washington

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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 Adams County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	29.1	17.9	1.63xSignificant	19 to 42.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	116.5	143.2	0.81x	95.2 to 141.1	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	324.4	453.4	0.72x	288.4 to 363.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	23.6	51.8	0.46x	14.9 to 35.4	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 Adams County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,360.5	9,842.6	-15%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	47.6	59.8	-20%	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	68.1	96.9	-30%	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.

Formaldehyde13.91 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde1.71 per million
Naphthalene1.16 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 348 days: 315 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 21, peak 99.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing109
Gas station (mapped facility)21
NPDES wastewater discharge permit15
Public airport10
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)7
Air permit holder (minor source)2
Small hazardous waste generator2
Heliport2
TRI reporting facility2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Brownfield property1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Hydroelectric plant1
Solar power plant1
Wind 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.

Mccain Foods Usa Inc, Othello
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Hydrogen sulfide, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nickel and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 5,879 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 99344MCCNFBROAD (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Simplot U.S. Food Group Holdings Llc., Othello
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 81,730 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 99344CRNTN1200N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.8
Nestli Usa - Foodservice Division Inc., Othello, Othello
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000491655 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Conagra Foods Lamb Weston Pasco, Pasco
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000572194 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.7
Othello Stp, Othello
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015464433 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Wsdot Qs-Ad-23 Klien Quarry, Ritzville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015533760 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Wa Dot Qs-Ad-137 Becker Quarry, Ritzville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015567929 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
City Of Othello - 910 E Main St, Othello
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071987095 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Nestli Usa - Foodservice Division Inc., Othello, Othello
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000491655 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Bruce Water System Reservoir No 2 And Distribution System Improvements, Othello
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071944089 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
East Columbia Basin Irrigation District, Othello
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005401234 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Deatley Crushing Co Inc Four Unit, Lind
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044957909 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Maverik Ritzville, Ritzville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071726356 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Ritzville Travel Center, Ritzville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071906966 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Yancey Pallet Othello, Othello
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072155453 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Lind, Lind
Public airport. O.
Record ID 0S0 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Pru Fld, Ritzville
Public airport. O.
Record ID 33S (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Othello Muni, Othello
Public airport. O.
Record ID S70 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Othello Wastewater Treatment Facility
Wastewater plant (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/300070757 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 2
Central Washington Concrete Othello, Othello
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015434608 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
American Rock Products Hampton Road, Othello
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071180608 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Re Plat Of Sand Hill Estates Vi, Othello
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072164480 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Cunningham Solar, Cunninham
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072182955 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Walmart Supercenter 3217, Othello
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018012666 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Cayuse Cove Slope Stabilization, Davenport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070883244 (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 Adams County

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