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Charles County, Maryland: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Charles County is 152.9 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Pancreas deaths at 1.3 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 518 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (149), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (122), Industrial wastewater discharge (92). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 30 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: 38.4808, -77.0328.

How this county ranks in Maryland

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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 Charles County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Pancreas	Deaths	14.5	11.3	1.28xSignificant	12.1 to 17.2	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	17.6	13.9	1.27xSignificant	15 to 20.7	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	5.1	4.1	1.24x	3.6 to 6.9	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	8.2	6.6	1.24x	6.4 to 10.3	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	3.3	2.7	1.22x	2.3 to 4.8	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	152.9	143.2	1.07xSignificant	144.8 to 161.3	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	468.4	453.4	1.03xSignificant	454.3 to 482.7	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	13.4	13	1.03x	11 to 16.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.9	4.8	1.02x	3.5 to 6.6	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	30.2	30.2	1x	26.7 to 34.1	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	50	51.8	0.97x	45.4 to 55	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	1.9	2	0.95x	1.1 to 3.1	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	17.1	18.7	0.91x	14.5 to 20.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.2	5.7	0.91x	3.8 to 7	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7.9	8.7	0.91x	6.2 to 10	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5.6	6.2	0.9x	4.1 to 7.4	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	16	17.9	0.89x	13.6 to 18.9	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	3.3	3.7	0.89x	2.3 to 4.7	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.4	18.5	0.89x	13.8 to 19.3	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3	3.4	0.88x	1.9 to 4.4	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	12.5	14.5	0.86x	10.2 to 15.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.6	6.6	0.85x	4.2 to 7.4	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	3.6	4.4	0.82x	2.4 to 5.1	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	3.5	4.6	0.76x	2.4 to 4.9	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	12.1	16.4	0.74x	7.4 to 18.7	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	12.1	23.8	0.51x	10 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 Charles County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,696.4	9,842.6	-12%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.7	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	57.9	59.8	-3%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	7.4	6.2	+19%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	80.8	96.9	-17%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	35.8	28.6	+25%	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 30 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde20.95 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.98 per million
Acetaldehyde2.13 per million
Benzene1.45 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 236 days: 218 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 38, peak 97.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)149
NPDES wastewater discharge permit122
Industrial wastewater discharge92
Rail grade crossing43
Gas station (mapped facility)36
Small hazardous waste generator25
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)10
Public airport9
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Major air pollution source4
Hazardous waste transporter4
Large greenhouse gas emitter3
TRI reporting facility3
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)2
Large hazardous waste generator2
Solar power plant2
EPA air quality monitor1
Heliport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Coal power plant1
Gas power plant1
Superfund (NPL) site1
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.

Indian Head Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MD7170024684 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Morgantown Power Llc, Newburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Hydrogen fluoride, Ammonia and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 479,652 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 20664MRGNT12620 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.9
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000492495 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8
Morgantown Generating Plant, Newburg
Coal power plant.
Record ID 1573 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 7.4
Waldorf Plant, Waldorf
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 1,843 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 2060WWLDRF12475 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Mattawoman Wastewater Treatment Plant, La Plata
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $17,600.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000572817 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Morgantown Power, Llc, Newburg
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064627587 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
U.S. Navy Naval Support Facility Indian Head, Indian Head
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitroglycerin, Lead compounds, Nitric acid and 1 more. 25,448 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 20640SDDND101ST (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Morgantown Power, Llc, Newburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064627587 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Town Of La Plata, La Plata
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000732841 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000492495 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000492495 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Thunderbird Motel Wwtp, Newburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $35,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006744336 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Huntington Neighborhood Pool, Waldorf
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $41,076.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017697081 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Mattawoman Wastewater Treatment Plant, La Plata
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $17,600.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000572817 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Hampshire Neighborhood Pool, Waldorf
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $41,076.
EPA FRS registry ID 110032594066 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Sheffield Neighborhood Pool, Waldorf
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $41,076.
EPA FRS registry ID 110032594075 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Naval Support Facility, Indian Head, Indian Head
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056026189 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Relax Inn Wwtp, Bel Alton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006636177 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Naval Support Facility, Indian Head, Indian Head
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056026189 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Smo Bryans Road Plant, Bryans Road
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Naphthalene, Xylene (mixed isomers). Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 2061WSMBRY7115I (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Smo La Plata Plant, La Plata
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Naphthalene, Xylene (mixed isomers). Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 2064WSMLPL19NMA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Wakefield Heighborhood Association Pool, Waldorf
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $41,076.
EPA FRS registry ID 110019905833 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Lions Camp Merrick, Nanjemoy
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055038846 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Smallwood Village Swim Club, Bryantown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110064244465 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3

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 Charles County

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