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Whitman County, Washington: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Whitman County is 150.1 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 361 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (224), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (59), Gas station (mapped facility) (20). 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: 46.8384, -117.5204.

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 Whitman County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Leukemia	Deaths	8	5.7	1.4x	4.5 to 13.1	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	15.1	11.3	1.34x	10.2 to 21.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	14.9	13.9	1.07x	9.9 to 21.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	150.1	143.2	1.05x	133.3 to 168.4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	29.9	30.2	0.99x	22.9 to 38.6	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	9	14.5	0.62x	5.2 to 14.4	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	10.3	18.5	0.56x	6.4 to 15.9	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	28.6	51.8	0.55x	21.7 to 37.1	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	12.3	23.8	0.52x	7.8 to 18.5	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	229.7	453.4	0.51x	208.6 to 252.3	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 Whitman County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	5,805.1	9,842.6	-41%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78.1	75.3	+4%	years
Child mortality	24.4	59.8	-59%	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	53.5	96.9	-45%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	11	28.6	-61%	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.

Formaldehyde14.37 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.79 per million
Acetaldehyde1.94 per million
Naphthalene1.27 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 317 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 23, peak 99.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing224
NPDES wastewater discharge permit59
Gas station (mapped facility)20
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)11
Public airport10
Brownfield property7
TRI reporting facility4
EPA air quality monitor3
Air permit holder (minor source)3
Large hazardous waste generator3
Small hazardous waste generator3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Major air pollution source2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Airfield1
Commercial airport1
Heliport1
Hydroelectric plant1
Gas power plant1
Oil-fired power plant1
Wind power plant1

Highest-severity records

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

Coleman Oil Co Stateline Plant, Pullman
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers), n-Hexane, Benzene and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,200 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 9916WCLMNL763SR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Washington State University, Pullman
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008216135 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc, Pullman
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Copper. Reports carcinogens. 96 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 99163SCHWT2350N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6
Washington State University, Pullman
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008216135 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Washington State University, Pullman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008216135 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Pullman City Muni Sw, Pullman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110061141081 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Poe Asphalt Paving Inc., Pullman
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds. Reports carcinogens. 46 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 99163PSPHL5991S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Rosalia Stp, Rosalia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $488.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025311302 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Busch Distributors Stateline Plant, Pullman
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110061478645 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Pullman/Moscow Rgnl, Pullman/Moscow
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID PUW (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 5
Nu Chem Ltd At Central Ferry, Pomeroy
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000558646 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Colfax Wastewater Treatment Plant, Colfax
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006685159 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Oakesdale Stp, Oakesdale
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009763540 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Palouse Wastewater Treatment Plant, Palouse
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009763559 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Tekoa Stp, Tekoa
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009764638 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
St John Wwtp, Saint John
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009765012 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Wa Dot Qs-P-34 Wilbur Ellis, Colfax
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015557119 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Empire Disposal Inc, Colfax
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110036139880 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Colton Stp, Colton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039943390 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Endicott Stp, Endicott
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040115522 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Interstate Aviation Inc, Pullman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055009618 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Atlas Commercial Development Property, Pullman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110062317489 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Chs Agronomy Terminal, Clarkston
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064091389 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Tidewater Terminal Co Clarkston, Clarkston
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070055366 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Wsdot Qs-P-151 Cox Quarry, Hay
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071177184 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5

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 Whitman 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 Whitman 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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