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Cook County, Minnesota: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Cook County is 103.1 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 57 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (14), Gas station (mapped facility) (11), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (11). EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 10 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: 47.8553, -90.4754.

How this county ranks in Minnesota

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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 Cook County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	42.3	23.8	1.78x	23.1 to 73.3	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	423.5	453.4	0.93x	363 to 493.5	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	40.9	51.8	0.79x	24.2 to 68.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	103.1	143.2	0.72x	76.9 to 138.5	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 Cook County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	4,570.5	9,842.6	-54%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	83	75.3	+10%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	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	68.8	96.9	-29%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	n/a	28.6	n/a	deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 10 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

Formaldehyde7.38 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.98 per million
Acetaldehyde0.7 per million
Benzene0.52 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 358 days: 315 good, 12 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 16, peak 201.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge14
Gas station (mapped facility)11
NPDES wastewater discharge permit11
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)4
Air permit holder (minor source)3
Airfield3
Major air pollution source1
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Brownfield property1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Small hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Heliport1
Coal power plant1
Oil-fired 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.

Taconite Harbor Energy Center, Schroeder
Coal power plant.
Record ID 10075 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 6.2
Minnesota Power - Taconite Harbor Dock, Schroeder
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110068447504 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Minnesota Power - Taconite Harbor Dock, Schroeder
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110068447504 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Minnesota Power - Taconite Harbor Dock, Schroeder
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110068447504 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Grand Portage Wastewater Stabilization Lagoon, Grand Portage
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011114203 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Grand Portage Band
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 270317810 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 4.4
Grand Marais, Grand Marais
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 1976 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Grand Portage Transfer Station, Grand Portage
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020639503 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Cook County Recycling Center, Grand Marais
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID x23b32c81b193b2d4b922910e7b9613f0 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Grand Marais, Grand Marais
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006650338 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Bluefin Bay On Lake Superior Wwtp, Tofte
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110031401891 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Caribou Highlands Lodge Wwtp, Lutsen
Industrial wastewater discharge. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit MN0053252: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 2.5
Caribou Highlands Lodge Wwtp, Lutsen
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008799611 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Grand Marais/Cook County, Grand Marais
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID CKC (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Isak Hansen & Sons Inc, Lutsen
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008771855 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Cook County, Grand Marais
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110021315414 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Lutsen Mountains, Lutsen
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070246508 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Csah 17 Rehabilitation Old Highway 61 & Mineral Center Road, Grand Portage
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070263527 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Hat Point Ferry Terminal, Grand Portage
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071362647 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Grand Portage Culvert/Bridge Replacement, Grand Portage
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071848014 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Grand Portage Land Port Of Entry - Contract No. 47pb5226c0001, Grand Portage
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072142352 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1.5
Hedstrom Lumber Co Inc - Grand Marais, Grand Marais
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110002028109 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1
Grand Marais Public Utilities Commission, Grand Marais
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110018853677 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1
Great River Energy - Arrowhead Station, Grand Marais
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110033675020 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1
Tofte Transfer Station, Tofte Township
Hazardous waste transporter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110068090915 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 1

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 Cook County

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