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Somerset County, Maine: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Somerset County is 181.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate and Bladder deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 328 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (65), Rail grade crossing (55), Gas station (mapped facility) (39). One correctional facility operates in the county. 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: 45.5756, -70.1259.

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 Somerset County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	52.5	30.2	1.74xSignificant	45.7 to 60.2	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	6.7	4.1	1.63xSignificant	4.2 to 10.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	84.1	51.8	1.62xSignificant	75.4 to 93.7	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	5.9	3.7	1.59x	3.7 to 9.2	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	7.1	4.6	1.54x	4.6 to 10.8	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	9.3	6.2	1.5x	6 to 13.7	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	8.1	5.7	1.42x	5.1 to 12.3	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	26.3	18.7	1.41xSignificant	21.4 to 32.2	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	6.7	4.8	1.4x	4.4 to 10.1	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.7	4.4	1.3x	3.4 to 9.1	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	181.7	143.2	1.27xSignificant	168.3 to 196	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	18.3	14.5	1.26x	13.7 to 24.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	22.1	18.5	1.19x	17.4 to 27.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	13.3	11.3	1.18x	9.9 to 17.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3.9	3.4	1.15x	2.2 to 6.6	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	498.3	453.4	1.1xSignificant	475.1 to 522.4	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	25.2	23.8	1.06x	20.1 to 31.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.7	13.9	1.06x	11.2 to 19.3	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	6.7	6.6	1.02x	4.2 to 10.3	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	12.5	13	0.96x	8.7 to 17.4	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	16.5	17.9	0.92x	12.5 to 21.7	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.7	6.6	0.86x	3.6 to 8.9	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	6.8	8.7	0.78x	4.5 to 10.1	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 Somerset County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	10,674.8	9,842.6	+8%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	74.4	75.3	-1%	years
Child mortality	60.5	59.8	+1%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.6	6.2	+6%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	134.6	96.9	+39%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	49.9	28.6	+74%	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.

Formaldehyde11.04 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride3.03 per million
Acetaldehyde1.44 per million
Naphthalene1.3 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

No EPA air quality monitor reports daily AQI for this county.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit65
Rail grade crossing55
Gas station (mapped facility)39
Air permit holder (minor source)28
Brownfield property26
Industrial wastewater discharge25
Small hazardous waste generator12
Public airport10
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)8
Large hazardous waste generator8
Hydroelectric plant8
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)8
Major air pollution source6
Combined sewer overflow outfall6
Heliport3
Biomass power plant3
Solar power plant3
Airfield2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Landfill (mapped facility)2
Battery storage plant2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Commercial airport1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Wind power plant1
TRI reporting facility1

Highest-severity records

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

Sappi N.A. Inc. - Somerset Operations, Skowhegan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Ammonia, Methanol, Manganese compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 11,114,336 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 04976SDWRRRFD3U (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.9
Sappi North America, Inc. Somerset Facility, Skowhegan
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017413468 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.9
Skowhegan Wastewater Treatment Facility, Skowhegan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002050752 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Pittsfield Wastewater Treatment Facility, Pittsfield
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006618712 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Jackman Wastewater Treatment Facility, Jackman
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009025973 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Sappi North America, Inc. Somerset Facility, Skowhegan
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017413468 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Good Will-Hinckely, Hinckley
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039681449 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Sappi North America, Inc. Somerset Facility, Skowhegan
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017413468 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Sappi North America, Inc. Somerset Facility, Skowhegan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017413468 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Skowhegan Wwtf, Skowhegan
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit ME0100625:001 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Skowhegan Wwtf, Skowhegan
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit ME0100625:003 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Skowhegan Wwtf, Skowhegan
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit ME0100625:005 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Skowhegan Wwtf, Skowhegan
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit ME0100625:008 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Skowhegan Wwtf, Skowhegan
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit ME0100625:010 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Skowhegan Wwtf, Skowhegan
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit ME0100625:AMB (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Wm Disposalservices Of Maine Inc - Crossroads Landfill, Norridgewock
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008437290 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Maine Woods Pellet Company Llc-Athens, Athens
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039679808 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Tasman Leather Group Llc - Hartland, Hartland
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000314749 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Madison Paper Mill, Madison
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000581530 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Moose River Lumber Company, Inc. - Moose River, Moose River
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005970878 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Anson Madison Wastewater Treatment Facility, Madison
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006618320 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Norridgewock Wastewater Treatment Facility, Norridgewock
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009912835 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Wm Disposalservices Of Maine Inc - Crossroads Landfill, Norridgewock
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008437290 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Bingham Wwtf, Bingham
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009913095 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Cianbro Fabrication And Coating, Pittsfield
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015743739 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3

Correctional facilities

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

Somerset County Jail, Madison
EPA FRS registry ID
110039669123
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Somerset 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 Somerset 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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