HI / county FIPS 15001 / county research

Hawaii County, Hawaii: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Hawaii County is 132 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 1,188 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (541), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (432), Gas station (mapped facility) (67). 2 correctional facilities operate 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: 19.5896, -155.4483.

How this county ranks in Hawaii

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 Hawaii County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	40.7	23.8	1.71xSignificant	37.4 to 44.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.2	6.6	1.09x	6 to 8.6	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.9	8.7	1.02x	7.4 to 10.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.3	11.3	1x	9.7 to 13.1	2020-2024
Stomach	Deaths	2.7	2.7	1x	1.9 to 3.8	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	4	4.1	0.98x	3.1 to 5.2	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	5.5	5.7	0.96x	4.3 to 6.9	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	429.2	453.4	0.95x	418.2 to 440.6	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	6.2	6.6	0.94x	5 to 7.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.5	4.8	0.94x	3.5 to 5.8	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	132	143.2	0.92x	126.2 to 138	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	13.3	14.5	0.92x	11.3 to 15.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	1.8	2	0.9x	1.2 to 2.7	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	12.4	13.9	0.89x	10.7 to 14.4	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	10.9	13	0.84x	9 to 13.2	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	15.2	18.7	0.81x	13.3 to 17.3	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	13.2	16.4	0.8x	8.4 to 19.8	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	3.5	4.4	0.8x	2.6 to 4.7	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	4.9	6.2	0.79x	3.7 to 6.3	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	14.3	18.5	0.77x	12.3 to 16.5	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	3.5	4.6	0.76x	2.6 to 4.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	22.9	30.2	0.76x	20.6 to 25.5	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	2.5	3.4	0.74x	1.8 to 3.5	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	37.3	51.8	0.72x	34.3 to 40.5	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	2.6	3.7	0.7x	1.9 to 3.6	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	12.5	17.9	0.7x	10.6 to 14.6	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 Hawaii County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,850.7	9,842.6	-20%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	79.5	75.3	+6%	years
Child mortality	51.8	59.8	-13%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6	6.2	-3%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	76	96.9	-22%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	15.8	28.6	-45%	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.

Formaldehyde11.09 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.8 per million
Acetaldehyde0.99 per million
Benzene0.94 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 314 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 32, peak 93.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

1,188 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

Industrial wastewater discharge541
NPDES wastewater discharge permit432
Gas station (mapped facility)67
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)23
Small hazardous waste generator18
Major air pollution source16
Air permit holder (minor source)15
Hazardous waste transporter12
EPA air quality monitor11
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)8
TRI reporting facility7
Oil-fired power plant6
Commercial airport5
Brownfield property5
Heliport5
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
Hydroelectric plant3
Correctional facility (prison or jail)2
Wind power plant2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Public airport1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Geothermal 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.

Hill Generating Station, Hilo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Naphthalene, Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 687,093 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 96720HLLGN54HAL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9
U.S. Army Pohakuloa Training Area - Range Facility, Hilo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Nitroglycerin, Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 200,209 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 96720SRMYPSADDL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Hawaii Electric Light Co Inc Puna Generating Station, Keaau
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Naphthalene, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene. Reports carcinogens. 120,236 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 96749PNGNRPUNAM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Hawaii Electric Light Co Inc Keahole Generating Station, Kailua Kona
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Naphthalene, Lead compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 57,908 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 96740HWNLC73424 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.2
Hamakua Energy Plant, Honokaa
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, n-Hexane, Benzene, Cyclohexane and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 22,007 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 96727HMKNR45300 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Hawaii Electric Light Co - Keahole, Kailua Kona
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $235,400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028014093 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.6
Aloha Petroleum Llc-Hilo West Terminal, Hilo
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Benzene, n-Hexane, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 4,909 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 9672WLHPTR661KA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Helco Puna Generating Station, Keaau
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $235,400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000601377 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.1
Hawaii Electric Light Co (Helco) - Kanoelehua Hill Generating Station, Hilo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000486377 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Aloha Petroleum Ltd., Hilo Sales Terminal, Hilo
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000888335 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
South Hilo Landfill, Hilo
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013948121 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Pacific Biodiesel Llc, Keaau
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size). 16,535 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 9674WPCFCB1624M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Hamakua Energy Plant, Honokaa
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008062265 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Aloha Petroleum Ltd., Hilo Sales Terminal, Hilo
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000888335 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Us Army Pohakuloa Training Area - Range Facility, Hilo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009349142 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Mk Parcel F, Unknown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,600.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071148536 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Aloha Petroleum, Llc, Hilo East Terminal, Hilo
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041192580 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Waimea Generating Station & Baseyard, Kamuela
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Naphthalene. Reports carcinogens. 10 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 96743HWNLC66159 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.3
Hawaii Electric Light Co - Keahole, Kailua Kona
Major air pollution source. Penalties $235,400.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028014093 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Young Brothers, Llc - Hilo, Hilo
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071309257 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Big Island Jet Center, Kailua-Kona
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071437314 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Hale Malie Residence, Kailua-Kona
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071511477 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Alii Palms (3), Kailua-Kona
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071538785 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Hilo Intl, Hilo
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID ITO (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 5
Ellison Onizuka Kona Intl At Keahole, Kailua-Kona
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID KOA (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 5

Correctional facilities

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

Kulani Correctional Facility, Hilo
EPA FRS registry ID
110027162157
Water system
HI0000153
Health-based violations
1 all time, 1 in 5 years
All violations
8
Contaminants cited
Stage 1 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report
New Medium Security Housing Hawaii Community Correctional Center, Hilo
EPA FRS registry ID
110071711380
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Hawaii County

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