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Mecosta County, Michigan: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Mecosta County is 169.5 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 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 121 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Brownfield property (36), Gas station (mapped facility) (25), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (17). 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: 43.6408, -85.3244.

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 Mecosta County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Esophagus	New cases	6.5	4.6	1.41x	4 to 10.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	41.8	30.2	1.38xSignificant	34.6 to 50.2	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	17.6	13.9	1.27x	13 to 23.5	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	8.1	6.6	1.23x	5.1 to 12.4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	63.2	51.8	1.22xSignificant	54.3 to 73.3	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5.7	4.8	1.19x	3.2 to 9.6	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	169.5	143.2	1.18xSignificant	154.3 to 186	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	21.2	18.7	1.13x	16.2 to 27.5	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	20.6	18.5	1.11x	15.3 to 27.3	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	6.8	6.6	1.03x	4 to 11	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	461.5	453.4	1.02x	434.9 to 489.4	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.8	8.7	1.01x	5.6 to 13.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.2	11.3	0.99x	7.7 to 16	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	14.2	14.5	0.98x	9.9 to 19.8	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	17.5	17.9	0.98x	12.2 to 24.2	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.4	5.7	0.95x	3.1 to 9	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	19.3	23.8	0.81x	13.9 to 26.2	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	9.3	13	0.72x	5.4 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 Mecosta County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,229.7	9,842.6	-16%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.3	75.3	+1%	years
Child mortality	56.9	59.8	-5%	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	72.3	96.9	-25%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	13.6	28.6	-52%	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.

Formaldehyde12.41 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.95 per million
Acetaldehyde1.18 per million
Benzene0.81 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Brownfield property36
Gas station (mapped facility)25
NPDES wastewater discharge permit17
Small hazardous waste generator9
Industrial wastewater discharge9
Air permit holder (minor source)6
Public airport4
Major air pollution source3
TRI reporting facility3
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)3
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Heliport1
Hydroelectric plant1
Scrapyard (mapped facility)1
Wastewater plant (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.

Agco Inc., Remus
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 48,209 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 49340NTDST7839C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Haworth Inc-Big Rapids, Big Rapids
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000797978 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Haworth Inc-Big Rapids, Big Rapids
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000797978 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Agco, Inc, Remus
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054256880 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Big Rapids Wwtp, Big Rapids
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071710467 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Leprino Foods Co, Remus
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitric acid, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution). 1,275 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 49340LPRNF311NS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4
Leprino Foods Company - Remus Mi. Plant, Remus
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000410207 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.1
Haworth Inc-Big Rapids, Big Rapids
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000797978 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Wheatland Twp Wwsl, Remus
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009027016 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Fork Pork-Cafo, Sears
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028152148 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Storey Farms Llc-Cafo, Remus
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028161307 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Gpm Southeast-Big Rapids, Big Rapids
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110029518485 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Simonds International Corp, Big Rapids
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000410163 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.1
Simonds International Llc, Big Rapids
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium. 4 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 49307MCHGN120PE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 3.5
Anr Pipeline Co - Woolfolk Compressor Station (B7220), Big Rapids
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040962303 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Agco, Inc, Remus
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054256880 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Hanchett Mfg Div, Big Rapids
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003583220 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Scrap Tire Facility, Barryton
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039059087 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Striketown Bowling Center, Big Rapids Township
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039059103 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Checkers Restaurant, Big Rapids
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040478159 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Sinclair Oil, Big Rapids
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040478168 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Sinclair Oil 2, Big Rapids
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040478177 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Trimarco Auto, Big Rapids
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040478186 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Farm Repair Shop, Chippewa Lake
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040478195 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Former Pioneer Press, Big Rapids
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040478202 (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 Mecosta 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 Mecosta 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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