MI / county FIPS 26017 / county research

Bay County, Michigan: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Bay County is 162 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Esophagus deaths at 1.6 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.3 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 472 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (169), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (83), Gas station (mapped facility) (45). 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: 43.7364, -84.0563.

How this county ranks in Michigan

View on the heat map Scan an address in this county

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 Bay County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Esophagus	New cases	8.9	4.6	1.93xSignificant	7.1 to 11.3	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	5.8	3.7	1.57xSignificant	4.2 to 7.8	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	3	2	1.5x	1.9 to 4.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4.7	3.4	1.38x	3.2 to 6.7	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	25.3	18.7	1.35xSignificant	21.9 to 29.1	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	31.6	23.8	1.33xSignificant	27.4 to 36.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	39.8	30.2	1.32xSignificant	35.5 to 44.5	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	18.9	14.5	1.3xSignificant	15.6 to 22.7	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	5.2	4.1	1.27x	3.8 to 7.2	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	64.5	51.8	1.25xSignificant	59 to 70.4	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	20.4	16.4	1.24x	11.6 to 33.1	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.7	17.9	1.21xSignificant	18.3 to 25.7	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	6.9	5.7	1.21x	5.1 to 9.2	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	519.3	453.4	1.15xSignificant	502.4 to 536.6	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	162	143.2	1.13xSignificant	153 to 171.5	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	15.5	13.9	1.12x	12.8 to 18.7	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	7.1	6.6	1.08x	5.4 to 9.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7	6.6	1.06x	5.3 to 9.3	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	11.6	11.3	1.03x	9.4 to 14.4	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	13.2	13	1.02x	10.2 to 16.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.7	4.8	0.98x	3.3 to 6.6	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.8	18.5	0.96x	14.8 to 21.3	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5.9	6.2	0.95x	4 to 8.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.1	8.7	0.93x	6.3 to 10.5	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	3.7	4.4	0.84x	2.4 to 5.6	2020-2024
Stomach	Deaths	2.2	2.7	0.81x	1.3 to 3.7	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 Bay County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,514.9	9,842.6	-3%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	75.1	75.3	-0%	years
Child mortality	40.4	59.8	-32%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	4.6	6.2	-26%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	85	96.9	-12%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	34.7	28.6	+21%	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.

Formaldehyde13.58 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.99 per million
Acetaldehyde1.35 per million
Benzene1.12 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 358 days: 252 good, 3 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 39, peak 139.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing169
NPDES wastewater discharge permit83
Gas station (mapped facility)45
Industrial wastewater discharge35
Air permit holder (minor source)29
Brownfield property25
Small hazardous waste generator17
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)11
TRI reporting facility10
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)10
Combined sewer overflow outfall8
Major air pollution source5
Large hazardous waste generator4
Hazardous waste transporter4
Heliport3
Gas power plant3
Public airport2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Biomass power plant1
Proposed Superfund 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.

Michigan Sugar Company - Bay City, Bay City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000407881 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.5
De Karn Jc Weadock Generating Plant, Essexville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)), Barium And Barium Compounds, Ammonia, Vanadium compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,834,619 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48732DKRNJNWEAD (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.5
Bay City Middlegrounds, Bay City
Proposed Superfund site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. Proposed NPL Site.
EPA site ID MID981092935 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 8
Mplx Terminals Llc - Bay City Mi Terminal, Bay City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Toluene, Benzene, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 16,784 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48706BYCTY1806M (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Quantum Composites Inc., Bay City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Maleic anhydride, Diisocyanates. Reports carcinogens. 8,240 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48706QNTMC1310S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.5
Michigan Sugar Co - Bay City Factory, Bay City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Peracetic acid. 662,933 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48707MNTRS2600S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.5
Bay Cast - Webster Street Plant, Bay City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Phenol, Nickel compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 5,838 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48707BYCST400WE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Michigan Sugar Company - Bay City, Bay City
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000407881 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Whitefeather Landfill, Pinconning
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001848109 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Michigan Sugar Company - Bay City, Bay City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000407881 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
City Of Bay City Wastwater Plant, Bay City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000544796 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Whitefeather Landfill, Pinconning
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001848109 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
West Bay County Department Of Water/Sewer, Bay City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010302001 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
BAY CITY -JENISON ST ABOUT 70 FT WEST, 2 LANE RESIDENTIAL, Bay City
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 260170014 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5.8
Mplx Terminals Llc, Bay City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009595964 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Michigan Sugar Company - Bay City, Bay City
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000407881 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Whitefeather Landfill, Pinconning
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001848109 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Quantum Composites Inc., Bay City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003716417 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Bay Cast Inc, Bay City
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000407872 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Bay Cast - Center Street Plant, Bay City
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Nickel And Nickel Compounds and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 6 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4870WBYCST2611C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.2
Dow Silicones Corporation, Auburn
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000593144 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Dow Silicones Corp Auburn Site, Auburn
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Aluminum (fume or dust). 414 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48611DWCRN5300E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5
Michigan Sugar Company - Bay City, Bay City
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000407881 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Omnisource-Bay City, Bay City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003585120 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Essexville Cso Rtb, Essexville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006740688 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5

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 Bay County

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

Scan an address in Bay County View on the heat map All Michigan counties