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Kent County, Maryland: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Kent County is 157.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 245 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (73), Rail grade crossing (51), Air permit holder (minor source) (45). 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: 39.1964, -76.1596.

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 Kent 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	50.6	23.8	2.13xSignificant	38.5 to 65.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	15.9	11.3	1.41x	10.2 to 24.5	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	17.2	13	1.32x	9.2 to 29.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	17.9	13.9	1.29x	11.6 to 27.1	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	22.6	18.7	1.21x	16.3 to 31.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	61.8	51.8	1.19x	50.7 to 75.4	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	509.9	453.4	1.12xSignificant	472.3 to 550.1	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20	17.9	1.12x	12.8 to 30.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	157.2	143.2	1.1x	138 to 179	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	31.4	30.2	1.04x	23.9 to 41.5	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	13.7	18.5	0.74x	8 to 22.5	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 Kent County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,862.9	9,842.6	-10%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.8	75.3	+2%	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	85.9	96.9	-11%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	31.2	28.6	+9%	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.

Formaldehyde17.91 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride3 per million
Acetaldehyde1.68 per million
Benzene1.18 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 356 days: 299 good, 1 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 38, peak 129.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit73
Rail grade crossing51
Air permit holder (minor source)45
Industrial wastewater discharge27
Gas station (mapped facility)9
Small hazardous waste generator8
Public airport7
Solar power plant5
Brownfield property4
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)4
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
TRI reporting facility2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Airfield1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Heliport1

Highest-severity records

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

Eastman Specialties Corp, Chestertown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000340275 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.4
Eastman Specialties Corp, Chestertown
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000340275 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Eastman Specialties Corp, Chestertown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000340275 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Eastman Specialties Corp, Chestertown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Maleic anhydride, Ammonia and 1 more. 5,827 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 21620HLSMRMDRTE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Chestertown Wwtp, Chestertown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006643061 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Nicholson, J Lawrence Landfill, Chestertown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043761818 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Dixon Valve & Coupling Co, Chestertown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Lead, Chromium, Zinc compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 21620DXNVL800HI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Dixon Valve & Coupling Co, Chestertown
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Lead, Lead compounds, Chromium and 3 more. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 2162WDXNVL365HA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Worton Creek Marina, Chestertown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003535684 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Rock Hall Wwtp, Rock Hall
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,200.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008490800 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Gillespie & Son, Inc., Chestertown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009686483 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Massey Asphalt Materials Plant, Massey
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043726484 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Ryan Farms Llc Dba Merrick Sand & Gravel, Millington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070216732 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Eastman Specialties Corp, Chestertown
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110000340275 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Mears Great Oak Landing Wwtp, Chestertown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008491015 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Betterton Wwtp, Betterton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $547.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009916207 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Dixon Valve & Coupling Co, Chestertown
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071498448 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Millington
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 240290002 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 3.7
Tgc Corporation, Millington
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001837647 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Georgetown Yacht Basin,Inc., Georgetown
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008422885 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Worton-Butlertown Wwtp, Worton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009915191 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Wenger Feeds Llc-Massey (F/K/A Wenger Feed Mill Inc), Massey
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Zinc compounds.
TRI facility ID 21650WNGRS12201 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3.1
Crop Production Services, Chestertown
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038742493 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
848 High Street, Chestertown
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038753024 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Alger Oil Property, Chestertown
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110057203388 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 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 Kent 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 Kent 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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