WI / county FIPS 55021 / county research

Columbia County, Wisconsin: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Columbia County is 143.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 346 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (120), Rail grade crossing (112), Gas station (mapped facility) (31). 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: 43.466, -89.3035.

How this county ranks in Wisconsin

View on the heat map Scan an address in this county

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 Columbia County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Bladder	Deaths	6.1	4.1	1.49x	3.9 to 9.2	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	32.7	23.8	1.37xSignificant	26.8 to 39.7	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	19.6	14.5	1.35xSignificant	15.3 to 24.9	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	7.6	5.7	1.33x	5.1 to 11.1	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	16.9	13	1.3x	12.5 to 22.4	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	23	18.7	1.23x	18.5 to 28.3	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	4.5	3.7	1.22x	2.7 to 7.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4.1	3.4	1.21x	2.4 to 6.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.5	17.9	1.2x	17 to 27	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.1	4.4	1.16x	3.1 to 8	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	12.7	11.3	1.12x	9.4 to 16.7	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	5.1	4.6	1.11x	3.2 to 7.8	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	15.4	13.9	1.11x	11.8 to 19.8	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	469.5	453.4	1.04x	447.8 to 492.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	143.4	143.2	1x	132 to 155.6	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.7	8.7	1x	6.2 to 12.2	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.6	4.8	0.96x	2.7 to 7.4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	28.7	30.2	0.95x	23.9 to 34.4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	48.8	51.8	0.94x	42.3 to 56.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.9	18.5	0.91x	13.1 to 21.6	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.8	6.6	0.88x	3.7 to 8.7	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5	6.2	0.81x	3 to 8.1	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 Columbia County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,231.2	9,842.6	-37%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78.5	75.3	+4%	years
Child mortality	37.8	59.8	-37%	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	108.2	96.9	+12%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	28.1	28.6	-2%	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.

Formaldehyde14.57 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Acetaldehyde1.41 per million
Naphthalene1.05 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 198 days: 168 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 40, peak 108.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit120
Rail grade crossing112
Gas station (mapped facility)31
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)15
TRI reporting facility14
Public airport11
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)7
Major air pollution source6
Small hazardous waste generator6
Air permit holder (minor source)4
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Brownfield property2
Hazardous waste transporter2
Heliport2
EPA air quality monitor1
Airfield1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Coal power plant1
Hydroelectric plant1
Wind power plant1
Scrapyard (mapped facility)1
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.

Columbia Energy Center, Pardeeville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)), Barium And Barium Compounds, Ammonia, Vanadium compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 6,196,222 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 53901CLMBNW8385 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.7
United Wisconsin Grain Producers, Friesland
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, Formic acid, n-Hexane, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 73,388 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 53935NTDWSW1231 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Encapsys Llc, Portage
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde, Acetophenone. Reports carcinogens. 70,576 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 53901CPSLR2500W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
American Packaging Corp, Columbus
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Certain glycol ethers, Ethylbenzene and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 35,827 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 53925MRCNP850WE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Didion Ethanol Llc, Cambria
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, Formaldehyde, Methanol, Formic acid and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 29,365 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5392WDDNTHN788S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Didion Ethanol, Llc, Cambria
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110033219078 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.8
Columbia, Pardeeville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000420385 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.6
Fall River Foundry Co, Fall River
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Benzene, Zinc (fume or dust), Copper, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 4,043 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 53932FLLRV670SO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Columbia (Wi), Pardeville
Coal power plant.
Record ID 8023 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 7.1
Grande Cheese Co Wyocena, Wyocena
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000420660 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.7
Fxi Inc. - Portage, Portage
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene diisocyanate (mixed isomers). Reports carcinogens. 794 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 53901FLXBL2626M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Cardinal Fg, Portage
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 692 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5390WCRDNL165MH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Everbrite Llc, Pardeeville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Manganese compounds, Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Copper And Copper Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 475 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 53954GNRLN413SM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.6
United Wisconsin Grain Producers, Friesland
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031001421 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Encapsys Llc, Portage
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001927087 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Metalcraft Of Mayville - Fall River, Fall River
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 46 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 53932RBBNS2STEE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
American Packaging Corp, Columbus
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000420492 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Fall River Foundry Co, Fall River
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000420508 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Didion Milling Inc, Cambria
Major air pollution source. Penalties $1,110,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110016877021 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Wi Dells Lake Delton Sew Comm, Lake Delton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039716616 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Innocor Foam Technologies - Acp, Inc., Portage
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000569359 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Cardinal Fg, Portage
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000550298 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Everbrite Llc, Pardeeville
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002037055 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Columbia, Pardeeville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000420385 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Ek Machine Co Inc, Fall River
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Chromium. 181 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 53932KMCHN671SM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.7

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

Columbia Correctional, Portage
EPA FRS registry ID
110008239003
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Columbia County

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

Scan an address in Columbia County View on the heat map All Wisconsin counties