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Humboldt County, California: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Humboldt County is 167.9 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Non-Hodgkin lymphoma deaths at 1.5 times the U.S. rate and Liver & bile duct deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 956 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (227), Rail grade crossing (168), Small hazardous waste generator (154). 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: 40.7336, -123.8965.

How this county ranks in California

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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 Humboldt County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	24.5	16.4	1.49x	16 to 35.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	7.1	4.8	1.48xSignificant	5.4 to 9.2	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	9.4	6.6	1.42xSignificant	7.4 to 11.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4.8	3.4	1.41xSignificant	3.5 to 6.5	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	4.9	3.7	1.32x	3.5 to 6.7	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	11	8.7	1.26xSignificant	8.9 to 13.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	2.5	2	1.25x	1.5 to 3.9	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	5.7	4.6	1.24x	4.2 to 7.6	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	5	4.1	1.22x	3.6 to 6.8	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	28.7	23.8	1.21xSignificant	25 to 32.7	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	21.8	18.5	1.18xSignificant	18.7 to 25.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	167.9	143.2	1.17xSignificant	159.3 to 176.9	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	6.4	5.7	1.12x	4.8 to 8.4	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	20.9	18.7	1.12x	18 to 24.3	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	3	2.7	1.11x	1.9 to 4.5	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	15.4	13.9	1.11x	12.8 to 18.3	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	15.6	14.5	1.08x	12.9 to 18.7	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.8	11.3	1.04x	9.6 to 14.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	31	30.2	1.03x	27.5 to 34.8	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	456.2	453.4	1.01x	441.6 to 471.3	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	6.5	6.6	0.98x	4.8 to 8.6	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	4.3	4.4	0.98x	3 to 6.1	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6	6.2	0.97x	4.4 to 8.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	49.6	51.8	0.96x	45 to 54.5	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	11.6	13	0.89x	9.1 to 14.5	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	13.7	17.9	0.77x	11.3 to 16.5	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 Humboldt County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,668.4	9,842.6	-2%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75.8	75.3	+1%	years
Child mortality	44.4	59.8	-26%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	4.9	6.2	-21%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	113.7	96.9	+17%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	47	28.6	+64%	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.

Formaldehyde12.93 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.96 per million
Acetaldehyde2.19 per million
Naphthalene1.93 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 285 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 38, peak 87.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit227
Rail grade crossing168
Small hazardous waste generator154
Industrial wastewater discharge89
Brownfield property87
Gas station (mapped facility)69
Large hazardous waste generator41
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)36
Hazardous waste transporter26
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)17
Major air pollution source7
Public airport6
Air permit holder (minor source)5
EPA air quality monitor3
Commercial airport3
Biomass power plant3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
TRI reporting facility2
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Hydroelectric plant1
Gas power plant1
Superfund (NPL) site1

Highest-severity records

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

Copper Bluff Mine, Hoopa
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID CAD980638225 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Pg&E Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Eureka
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, Ammonia, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene. Reports carcinogens. 168,440 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 95503PGHMB1000K (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Humboldt Creamery Association, Fortuna
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000601297 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.2
Crystal Creamery Inc. Dba Humboldt Creamery, Fortuna
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid. 540,044 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 95540HMBLD572HW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
City Of Arcata Wastewater Treatment Facility, Arcata
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $48,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037254752 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
City Of Fortuna - Municipal Wastewater Plant, Fortuna
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $15,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055662082 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.8
Humboldt Redwood Company Llc, Scotia
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022811689 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Pg&E Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Eureka
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000610278 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Humboldt Redwood Company Llc, Scotia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022811689 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
California Redwood Co Korbel Sawmill, Korbel
Major air pollution source. Penalties $21,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001173998 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Rio Dell Potw, Rio Dell
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $21,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000736231 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
California Redwood Co Korbel Sawmill, Korbel
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $21,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001173998 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County, Arcata/Eureka
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID ACV (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 5
Humboldt Sawmill Co & Cogeneration Plant, Scotia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 3 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 95565PLCXX125MA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5
Jacobs, Eureka
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 060231004 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.9
Loleta Wwtf, Loleta
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010059649 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Hoopa Valley Reservation
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 060230006 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.3
Eureka Wastewater Treatment Plant, Eureka
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $93,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009547213 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Mckinleyville Csd - Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mckinleyville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055897463 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Johns Used Cars Wreckers, Eureka
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017957834 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Arcata Scrap And Salvage, Arcata
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022325250 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Eel River Scrap And Salvage, Fortuna
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070087193 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
S H U S D Trans Yard, Miranda
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070087195 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Baker Creek Quarry, Whitethorn
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070090094 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Scotia Sawmill & Cogeneration Plant, Scotia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070388738 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
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 Humboldt County

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