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Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Ketchikan Gateway Borough is 145.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 162 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (69), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (60), Air permit holder (minor source) (9). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 10 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: 55.5619, -130.4977.

How this county ranks in Alaska

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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 Ketchikan Gateway Borough compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Liver & bile duct	New cases	15.5	8.7	1.78x	8.7 to 26.4	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	28.3	17.9	1.58xSignificant	18.1 to 42.7	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	76.8	51.8	1.48xSignificant	59.3 to 98.4	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	27.5	18.7	1.47x	17.4 to 41.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	24	18.5	1.3x	14.4 to 37.9	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	34.7	30.2	1.15x	23.2 to 50.3	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	483	453.4	1.07x	437 to 532.9	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	145.7	143.2	1.02x	120.7 to 174.6	2020-2024

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 Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,819.4	9,842.6	-0%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.6	75.3	+3%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	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	96.9	+14%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	36.4	28.6	+27%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 10 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde5.86 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride3.02 per million
Acetaldehyde0.94 per million
Benzene0.92 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

No EPA air quality monitor reports daily AQI for this county.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge69
NPDES wastewater discharge permit60
Air permit holder (minor source)9
Hydroelectric plant5
Hazardous waste transporter4
Gas station (mapped facility)3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Small hazardous waste generator2
Major air pollution source1
Airfield1
Commercial airport1
Brownfield property1
Heliport1
Oil-fired 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.

Us Coast Guard Base Ketchikan, Ketchikan
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $30,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000885873 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8
Crowley Ketchikan Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, Ketchikan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, n-Hexane, Benzene, Cyclohexane and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,450 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 9990WCRWLY9STED (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Vigor Alaska, Ketchikan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper compounds. 13,242 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 99901LSKSH381TN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Silver Bay Seafoods Ketchikan Plant, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071710514 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Us Coast Guard Base Ketchikan, Ketchikan
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $30,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000885873 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Us Coast Guard Base Ketchikan, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $30,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000885873 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Wards Cove Industrial And Maritime Center, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,520.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003045259 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Ketchikan Intl, Ketchikan
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID KTN (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 5
U.S. Coast Guard Base Ketchikan, Ketchikan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 2 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 99901SCSTG1300S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.9
Vallenar View Mobile Home Park, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020436036 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
North Tongass Car Wash, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044246615 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Lewis Reef Sawmill, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063219556 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Mountain Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064600454 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Rhineco Interiors Wwtf, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064691891 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ketchikan Intl, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064874872 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ketchikan Freight Terminal, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071177227 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ec Phillips And Son Ketchikan Plant, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000510215 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Vigor Alaska, Ketchikan
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003041887 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Vigor Alaska, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003041887 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Yes Bay Lodge, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010111654 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Eichner Subdivision Owners Wwtf, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020073864 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
North Ketchikan Center Sewer Collector, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110030482984 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Edgewater Inn And Restaurant, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064647431 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Burnett Inlet Hatchery Wwtf, Ketchikan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070668821 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
S W Bailey, Ketchikan
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 85 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4

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 Ketchikan Gateway Borough

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