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Monroe County, Michigan: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Monroe County is 166.7 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Esophagus deaths at 1.8 times the U.S. rate and Bladder deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 763 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (311), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (110), Industrial wastewater discharge (85). 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: 41.911, -83.5513.

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 Monroe County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Esophagus	Deaths	6.8	3.7	1.84xSignificant	5.3 to 8.6	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	7.4	4.6	1.61xSignificant	5.8 to 9.3	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	5.8	4.1	1.41xSignificant	4.5 to 7.5	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	2.7	2	1.35x	1.8 to 4	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	39.5	30.2	1.31xSignificant	35.8 to 43.4	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	13.4	11.3	1.19x	11.3 to 15.9	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5.6	4.8	1.17x	4.3 to 7.3	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	166.7	143.2	1.16xSignificant	159 to 174.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3.9	3.4	1.15x	2.8 to 5.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	58.5	51.8	1.13xSignificant	54.1 to 63.3	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	6.4	5.7	1.12x	4.9 to 8.2	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	20.8	18.7	1.11x	18.2 to 23.7	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	14.4	14.5	0.99x	12.1 to 17.1	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	23.2	23.8	0.97x	20.2 to 26.6	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	4.2	4.4	0.95x	3 to 5.7	2020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	15.6	16.4	0.95x	9.5 to 24.1	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	12.2	13	0.94x	9.9 to 14.9	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	16.4	17.9	0.92x	14 to 19.1	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	415.1	453.4	0.92x	402.5 to 428	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	16.8	18.5	0.91x	14.3 to 19.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	12.6	13.9	0.91x	10.5 to 15	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.7	6.6	0.86x	4.4 to 7.4	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	6.8	8.7	0.78x	5.4 to 8.6	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	4.1	6.2	0.66x	2.9 to 5.8	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	4.2	6.6	0.64x	3 to 5.6	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	1.6	2.7	0.59x	0.9 to 2.7	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 Monroe County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,571.2	9,842.6	-13%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.4	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	51	59.8	-15%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.7	6.2	+8%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	80.7	96.9	-17%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	32.3	28.6	+13%	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.

Formaldehyde14.93 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.98 per million
Acetaldehyde1.46 per million
Benzene1.25 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2024

Monitored on 59 days: 56 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 18, peak 77.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing311
NPDES wastewater discharge permit110
Industrial wastewater discharge85
Gas station (mapped facility)66
Air permit holder (minor source)34
Brownfield property26
Small hazardous waste generator22
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)16
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)16
TRI reporting facility15
Hazardous waste transporter12
Major air pollution source9
Public airport9
Large greenhouse gas emitter6
Landfill (mapped facility)5
Large hazardous waste generator4
Heliport4
Scrapyard (mapped facility)3
EPA air quality monitor2
Commercial airport2
Crematorium (mapped facility)1
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)1
Coal power plant1
Nuclear power plant1
Solar power plant1
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.

Dte Electric Co - Monroe Power Plant, Monroe
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7)), Barium And Barium Compounds, Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Vanadium compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 14,774,688 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48161DTRTD3500E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
North Star Steel Co, Monroe
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $36,250.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000405945 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Monroe, Monroe
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000405927 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.3
Autolign Mfg Group, Milan
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000500306 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.3
Gerdau Macsteel Monroe, Monroe
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Lead And Lead Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 55,832 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48161NRTHS3000E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Advanced Heat Treat Corp., Monroe
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Trichloroethylene, Ammonia. Reports carcinogens. 48,776 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48162DVNCD1625R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.1
Monroe (Mi), Monroe
Coal power plant.
Record ID 1733 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 8
Dte Electric Company-Fermi Power Plant, Newport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 12,917 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48166DTRTD6400N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Dte Electric Company - Fermi Energy Center, Newport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000700812 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.6
North Star Steel Co, Monroe
Major air pollution source. Penalties $36,250.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000405945 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
National Galvanizing Lp, Monroe
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Manganese, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 5,935 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48161NTNLG1500T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
National Galvanizing Hs Processing Lp, Monroe
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $7,763.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000405954 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
North Star Steel Co, Monroe
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $36,250.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000405945 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
North Star Steel Co, Monroe
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $36,250.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000405945 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Guardian Industries Corporation-Carleton Facility, Carleton
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000566245 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.9
Jaytec Llc, Milan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Chromium, Copper. Reports carcinogens. 1,264 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 49423CLNLS620SP (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Guardian Industries - Carleton, Carleton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region), Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead compounds and 1 more. 61,742 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 48117GRDNN14600 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
North Star Steel Co, Monroe
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $36,250.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000405945 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Autolign Mfg Group, Milan
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000500306 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Monroe, Monroe
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000405927 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Autolign Mfg Group, Milan
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000500306 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Monroe Metro Wastewater Facility, Monroe
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000536475 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Bedford Twp Wwtp, Erie
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000733163 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Stoneco Inc, Maybee
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001841044 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Rock Recyclers, S Rockwood
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043283130 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6

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 Monroe 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 Monroe 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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