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Aroostook County, Maine: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Aroostook County is 163.9 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Bladder deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 793 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (324), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (91), Industrial wastewater discharge (87). 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: 46.5418, -68.3042.

How this county ranks in Maine

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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 Aroostook County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Bladder	New cases	29.7	18.7	1.59xSignificant	25.4 to 34.7	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	6.5	4.1	1.59xSignificant	4.7 to 9.1	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	7.1	4.6	1.54xSignificant	5 to 10.1	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	17.8	13	1.37xSignificant	13.3 to 23.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	41.1	30.2	1.36xSignificant	36 to 46.9	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	4.9	3.7	1.32x	3.1 to 7.4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	67.7	51.8	1.31xSignificant	61.1 to 75.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	14.5	11.3	1.28xSignificant	11.7 to 18.1	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	22.8	17.9	1.27xSignificant	18.5 to 27.8	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	17.6	14.5	1.21x	13.7 to 22.4	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	163.9	143.2	1.14xSignificant	153.5 to 175	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	15.8	13.9	1.14x	12.7 to 19.7	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	7.3	6.6	1.11x	5.2 to 10.1	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	4.8	4.4	1.09x	3.1 to 7.3	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	485.3	453.4	1.07xSignificant	465.7 to 505.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.6	18.5	0.95x	14.3 to 21.7	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3.2	3.4	0.94x	1.9 to 5.2	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5.7	6.2	0.92x	3.7 to 8.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	21.7	23.8	0.91x	17.3 to 26.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.3	4.8	0.9x	2.8 to 6.6	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	4.8	5.7	0.84x	3.2 to 7.2	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	6.5	8.7	0.75x	4.5 to 9.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	4.2	6.6	0.64x	2.7 to 6.5	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 Aroostook County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	10,576.1	9,842.6	+7%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75	75.3	-0%	years
Child mortality	61.9	59.8	+4%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	8.3	6.2	+33%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	108	96.9	+11%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	51.8	28.6	+81%	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.

Formaldehyde8.75 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride3.03 per million
Acetaldehyde1.08 per million
Benzene0.74 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 304 good, 4 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 32, peak 131.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing324
NPDES wastewater discharge permit91
Industrial wastewater discharge87
Brownfield property61
Gas station (mapped facility)50
Air permit holder (minor source)46
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)30
Small hazardous waste generator15
Landfill (mapped facility)15
Major air pollution source10
Public airport10
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)8
Large hazardous waste generator6
TRI reporting facility6
EPA air quality monitor5
Airfield5
Combined sewer overflow outfall5
Commercial airport4
Hazardous waste transporter4
Heliport3
Wind power plant2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Hydroelectric plant1
Other 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.

Loring Air Force Base, Limestone
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 34.5. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ME9570024522 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Mccain Foods Usa Inc, Easton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Nickel, Chromium and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 9,017,644 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 04740MCCNFSTATI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.8
Twin Rivers Paper Company Llc - Madawaska, Madawaska
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $67,721.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008062602 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.6
Twin Rivers Paper Co Llc, Madawaska
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Lead, Polycyclic aromatic compounds and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 208,676 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 04756FRSRP25BRI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Louisiana-Pacific Corp - New Limerick, New Limerick
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000607969 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.6
Huber Engineered Woods Llc, Easton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde, Diisocyanates, Lead And Lead Compounds. Reports carcinogens. 162,181 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 04740JMHBRPOBOX (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Louisiana-Pacific Corp, New Limerick
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde, Diisocyanates, Zinc compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 83,137 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 04761LSNPCSTATI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.3
Tate & Lyle Solutions Usa Llc, Houlton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Propylene oxide, Polycyclic aromatic compounds. Reports carcinogens. 12,741 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 04730STLYMRT4BO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Mccain Foods Inc - Presque Isle Facility, Easton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070690220 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.9
Louisiana-Pacific Corp - New Limerick, New Limerick
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000607969 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Huber Engineered Woods Llc, Easton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010786630 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Twin Rivers Paper Company Llc - Madawaska, Madawaska
Major air pollution source. Penalties $67,721.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008062602 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Tate & Lyle Ingredients Americas Llc, Houlton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000314650 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Louisiana-Pacific Corp - New Limerick, New Limerick
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000607969 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Twin Rivers Paper Company Llc - Madawaska, Madawaska
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $67,721.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008062602 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Presque Isle Waste Water Treatment Facility, Presque Isle
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006618721 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Presque Isle Intl, Presque Isle
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID PQI (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 5
Mccrum Washburn Plant, Washburn
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 255 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 0478WMCCRM2326P (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.8
Houlton Wastewater Treatment Facility, Houlton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022329924 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Caribou Hatch Wastewater Treatment Facility, Caribou
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006618491 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Daaquam Lumber Maine Inc., Masardis
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead And Lead Compounds. 40 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 04732FRSRTSTATE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.2
Public Safety Building, Madawaska (census name for Madawaska Center)
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 230030014 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.2
Smith & Wesson Division, Houlton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000581497 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Twin Rivers Paper Company Llc - Madawaska, Madawaska
Small hazardous waste generator. Penalties $67,721.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008062602 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Frenchville Wastewater Treatment Facility, Frenchville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009912764 (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 Aroostook County

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