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Kent County, Michigan: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Kent County is 147.1 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 1,751 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (312), Gas station (mapped facility) (219), Rail grade crossing (196). 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: 43.0345, -85.5504.

How this county ranks in Michigan

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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
Childhood cancer (under 15)	Deaths	2.5	1.9	1.32x	1.4 to 4.1	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	4.7	4.1	1.15x	4 to 5.5	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5	4.4	1.14x	4.3 to 5.8	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	2.2	2	1.1x	1.8 to 2.8	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3.7	3.4	1.09x	3.1 to 4.4	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5.2	4.8	1.08x	4.5 to 6	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	20.2	18.7	1.08x	18.7 to 21.7	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.1	6.6	1.08x	6.2 to 8	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	12	11.3	1.06x	10.9 to 13.1	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	32	30.2	1.06x	30.2 to 33.9	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	6	5.7	1.05x	5.2 to 6.9	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	6.9	6.6	1.05x	6 to 7.8	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	147.1	143.2	1.03x	143.1 to 151.1	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	24.1	23.8	1.01x	22.5 to 25.8	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.8	8.7	1.01x	7.9 to 9.8	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4.6	4.6	1x	3.9 to 5.4	2019-2023
Thyroid	Deaths	0.5	0.5	1x	0.3 to 0.8	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	51.6	51.8	1x	49.3 to 54	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	13.8	13.9	0.99x	12.6 to 15.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.4	18.5	0.94x	16 to 18.9	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	2.5	2.7	0.93x	2 to 3.1	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	418.8	453.4	0.92x	412 to 425.7	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	3.4	3.7	0.92x	2.8 to 4.1	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	16.4	17.9	0.92x	15.1 to 17.8	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	11.2	13	0.86x	10.1 to 12.4	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5.3	6.2	0.85x	4.6 to 6.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	11.4	14.5	0.79x	10.3 to 12.6	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	11.9	16.4	0.73x	9.4 to 14.9	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	6,629.6	9,842.6	-33%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78.5	75.3	+4%	years
Child mortality	51.4	59.8	-14%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	5.6	6.2	-10%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	67.6	96.9	-30%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	17.5	28.6	-39%	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.

Formaldehyde15.84 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Naphthalene1.81 per million
Acetaldehyde1.63 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 153 good, 9 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 52, peak 163.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

1,751 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

NPDES wastewater discharge permit312
Gas station (mapped facility)219
Rail grade crossing196
Small hazardous waste generator192
Air permit holder (minor source)190
Brownfield property183
Industrial wastewater discharge100
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)89
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)72
TRI reporting facility60
Large hazardous waste generator45
Major air pollution source17
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)10
Hazardous waste transporter10
Public airport9
Superfund (NPL) site8
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)8
Heliport7
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
EPA air quality monitor3
Combined sewer overflow outfall3
Landfill (mapped facility)3
Scrapyard (mapped facility)3
Biomass power plant2
Hydroelectric plant2
Gas power plant2
Commercial airport1
Crematorium (mapped facility)1

Highest-severity records

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

Lacks Industries Inc, Kentwood
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $147,779.
EPA FRS registry ID 110066942517 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Kentwood Landfill, Kentwood
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 35.4. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MID000260281 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Sparta Landfill, Sparta Township
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 32. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MID000268136 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
H. Brown Co., Inc., Grand Rapids
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 39.9. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MID017075136 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Butterworth #2 Landfill, Grand Rapids
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50.3. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MID062222997 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Spartan Chemical Co., Wyoming
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 41.1. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MID079300125 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Chem Central, Wyoming Township
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 38.2. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MID980477079 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
State Disposal Landfill, Inc., Grand Rapids
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 42.2. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MID980609341 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Organic Chemicals, Inc., Grandville
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 32.9. NPL Site.
EPA site ID MID990858003 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Worthen Coated Fabrics, Grand Rapids
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $81,300.
EPA FRS registry ID 110067012878 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.7
Lacks Industries, Inc., Kentwood
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $147,779.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017435104 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.6
Hutchinson Antivibration Systems, Inc. (E5094), Grand Rapids
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $59,625.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000411260 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.1
Plastic Plate Inc, Grand Rapids
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $147,779.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000411340 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.9
Hutchinson Antivibration Systems Inc, Grand Rapids
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Methyl isobutyl ketone, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 225,632 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 49501PLSTR460FU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Lacks Trim Systems-Airlane, Kentwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde, Nitric acid, Copper And Copper Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 148,896 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 49508LCKSN4260A (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Lacks Wheel Trim Systems Barden Plater, Kentwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde, Nitric acid, Copper And Copper Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 137,990 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 49512LCKSW49BAR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Plastic Plate Inc. - Kraft Plater, Kentwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Formaldehyde, Nitric acid, Copper And Copper Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 122,450 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4951WPLSTC5675K (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Light Metals Corporation, Wyoming
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011125264 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.4
Lacks Trim Systems-52nd Street Paint East, Kentwood
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Cyclohexane, Methyl isobutyl ketone, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Methanol. Reports carcinogens. 40,933 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 49512LCKSN43755 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Arkema Inc, Grand Rapids
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Ethylbenzene, Certain glycol ethers, Toluene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 38,742 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 49507PLYMR1415S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Lacks Trim Systems - 52nd Street Paint Central, Grand Rapids
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methyl isobutyl ketone, Cyclohexane, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 23,889 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4951WLCKST43155 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.9
Allied Finishing Inc, Grand Rapids
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000411625 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.8
Gm Components Holdings Llc, Wyoming
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Zinc compounds, Copper, Nickel and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 13,599 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 49501RCHST2100B (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Kendrick Plastics, Grand Rapids
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Certain glycol ethers, Triethylamine, Diisocyanates and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 10,978 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 49512TSTYL5050K (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Lacks Industries, Inc., Kentwood
Major air pollution source. Penalties $147,779.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017435104 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5

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 Kent 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 Kent 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.

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