WI / county FIPS 55053 / county research

Jackson County, Wisconsin: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Jackson County is 153.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 187 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (111), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (41), Gas station (mapped facility) (13). One correctional facility operates in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. 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: 44.3195, -90.7417.

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 Jackson County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	New cases	73.2	51.8	1.41xSignificant	60.5 to 88.1	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	16.7	13	1.28x	9.7 to 26.7	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.6	17.9	1.21x	14.6 to 31.3	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	13	11.3	1.15x	8 to 20.5	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	32.9	30.2	1.09x	24.7 to 43.5	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	153.3	143.2	1.07x	134.3 to 174.6	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	465.5	453.4	1.03x	430.6 to 502.9	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	17.5	18.7	0.94x	11.3 to 26.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	11.5	13.9	0.83x	6.9 to 18.6	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	11.7	14.5	0.81x	6.5 to 19.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	13.5	18.5	0.73x	8.1 to 21.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	16.8	23.8	0.71x	10.2 to 26.2	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 Jackson County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,145	9,842.6	-7%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.4	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	61.3	59.8	+3%	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	110.9	96.9	+14%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	36.7	28.6	+28%	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.

Formaldehyde13.83 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Acetaldehyde1.36 per million
Benzene0.95 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 332 days: 229 good, 10 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 36, peak 172.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing111
NPDES wastewater discharge permit41
Gas station (mapped facility)13
Air permit holder (minor source)6
Small hazardous waste generator4
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Public airport2
Major air pollution source1
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Heliport1
Solar power plant1
TRI reporting facility1

Highest-severity records

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

Badger Mining Corp Taylor Coating Plant, Taylor
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Phenol, Formaldehyde. Reports carcinogens. 5,202 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 54659TLSRSN75CU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
, Black River Falls
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 550532002 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 6.3
Nelson Global Inc.-Black River Falls, Black River Falls
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Nickel And Nickel Compounds, Copper and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 79 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 54615BLCKR915RE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6
Badger Mining Corp Merrillan Coating Plants, Merrillan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Formaldehyde, Phenol, Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size). Reports carcinogens. 57 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5475WTLSRSW1899 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Blaken Farms Llc, Melrose, Town Of
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041254665 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Pfaff Prairie Farms, Melrose, Town Of
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043480943 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Fleet Guard Incorporated, Black River Falls
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002034334 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Black River Falls Wwtf, Black River Falls
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010889057 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Melrose Wastewater Treatment Facility, Melrose
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010888110 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Hatfield Sanitary District, Merrillan,
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010886078 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Taylor Wastewater Treatment Facility, Taylor
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010888995 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Badger Mining - Hixton Plant, Hixton
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110066860301 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Superior Fresh Llc-300, Hixton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070208516 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Merrillan Wastewater Treatment Facility, Merrillan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039965669 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
D & S Manufacturing Co Inc, Black River Falls
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064146428 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
D & S Manufacturing Co Inc, Black River Falls
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064146428 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.5
Rytec Corp, Jackson
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070379615 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Taylor Frac Llc, Taylor
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110063952012 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Black River Falls Area, Black River Falls
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID BCK (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Nelson Global Products- Black River Falls, Black River Falls
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110068306265 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.8
Alma Center Wastewater Treatment Facility, Alma Center
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110016875041 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Fairchild Wastewater Treatment Fac, Fairchild
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110016875522 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
North Bend Sanitary District #1, Melrose
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110016875595 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Trinity Hogs, Springfield, Town Of
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031276205 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Heller Farm Inc, Alma Center
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040441732 (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.

Black River Correctional Center
EPA FRS registry ID
110050662528
Water system
WI6270287
Health-based violations
1 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
8
Contaminants cited
Groundwater Rule
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Jackson 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 Jackson 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 Jackson County View on the heat map All Wisconsin counties