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Waldo County, Maine: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Waldo County is 175.4 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 1.8 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 284 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (104), Brownfield property (49), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (40). 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: 44.5029, -69.0953.

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 Waldo County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Bladder	Deaths	7.2	4.1	1.76xSignificant	4.5 to 11.1	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	34.5	23.8	1.45xSignificant	27.5 to 42.9	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	26.3	18.7	1.41xSignificant	20.9 to 33	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	8.3	6.2	1.34x	4.8 to 13.5	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	18.4	14.5	1.27x	13.5 to 24.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	64.5	51.8	1.25xSignificant	56.2 to 73.9	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	37.2	30.2	1.23xSignificant	31 to 44.7	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	7	5.7	1.23x	4.2 to 11.2	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	175.4	143.2	1.22xSignificant	160.6 to 191.3	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	22	18.5	1.19x	16.7 to 28.8	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12.9	11.3	1.14x	9.1 to 18	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	515.7	453.4	1.14xSignificant	489.2 to 543.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	15.3	13.9	1.1x	11.1 to 21	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	14	13	1.08x	9.2 to 20.4	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	18.5	17.9	1.03x	13.4 to 25.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.9	4.8	1.02x	2.8 to 8.4	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7	8.7	0.8x	4.1 to 11.5	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5	6.6	0.76x	2.9 to 8.6	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 Waldo County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,085.5	9,842.6	-8%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.5	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	55.7	59.8	-7%	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	112.8	96.9	+16%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	42.5	28.6	+48%	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.

Formaldehyde10.09 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride3.04 per million
Acetaldehyde1.15 per million
Benzene0.97 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing104
Brownfield property49
NPDES wastewater discharge permit40
Air permit holder (minor source)25
Industrial wastewater discharge18
Gas station (mapped facility)11
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)5
Large hazardous waste generator5
Small hazardous waste generator5
Combined sewer overflow outfall4
Public airport3
TRI reporting facility3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Major air pollution source1
Airfield1
Commercial airport1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Heliport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Biomass power plant1
Oil-fired power plant1
Wind power 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.

Gac Chemical - New England, Searsport
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $305,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000581549 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.1
Gac Chemical Corp, Searsport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Methyl methacrylate, Styrene, Butyl acrylate and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 44,986 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 04974DLTCHKIDDE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Irving Oil Terminals Inc., Searsport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Benzene, n-Hexane, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 3,437 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 04974RVNGL52STA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Sprague Searsport Terminal, Searsport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Naphthalene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Ethylbenzene, Polycyclic aromatic compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,696 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 04974SPRGSMACKS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Irving Oil Terminals Inc. Searsport, Searsport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025246847 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Gac Chemical - New England, Searsport
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $305,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000581549 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Robbins Lumber, Searsmont
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039667170 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Winterport Wastewater Treatment Facility, Winterport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018930497 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Searsport Wastewater Treatment Facility, Searsport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011126968 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Robbins Lumber, Searsmont
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039667170 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Sprague Energy - Searsport Terminal, Searsport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028276513 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.1
Robbins Lumber, Searsmont
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 50230 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Irving Oil Terminals Inc. Searsport, Searsport
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110025246847 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Robbins Lumber Inc - Searsmont, Searsmont
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039678328 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Winterport Wwtf, Winterport
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit ME0100749:001 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Belfast Wwtf, Belfast
Combined sewer overflow outfall. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit ME0101532:001 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Belfast Wwtf, Belfast
Combined sewer overflow outfall. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit ME0101532:002 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Belfast Wwtf, Belfast
Combined sewer overflow outfall. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit ME0101532:003 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Gac Chemical - New England, Searsport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $305,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000581549 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Lincolnville Sewer District, Lincolnville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063919559 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Palermo Fish Rearing Station, Palermo
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011127404 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Gac Chemical - New England, Searsport
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $305,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000581549 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Daddy And Daughters Metal Recycling, Troy
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071228748 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Em-Bee Cleaners, Belfast
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003556465 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Stinson Seafood (2000) Inc., Belfast
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008053541 (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 Waldo 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 Waldo 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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