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Mille Lacs County, Minnesota: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Mille Lacs County is 189.6 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Non-Hodgkin lymphoma deaths at 1.9 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 107 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (32), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (23), Gas station (mapped facility) (16). 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: 45.9009, -93.643.

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 Mille Lacs County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	8.9	4.8	1.85xSignificant	5 to 14.9	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	14.7	8.7	1.69xSignificant	9.5 to 21.9	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	9.6	6.6	1.45x	5.5 to 15.9	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	34.5	23.8	1.45xSignificant	25.7 to 45.3	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	25.8	17.9	1.44xSignificant	18.4 to 35.3	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	19.2	13.9	1.38x	13.3 to 27.1	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	25.2	18.5	1.36x	18.3 to 34.1	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	25	18.7	1.34x	18.2 to 33.9	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	189.6	143.2	1.32xSignificant	169.8 to 211.4	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	16.9	13	1.3x	10.4 to 26	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	17.7	14.5	1.22x	11.7 to 25.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	36	30.2	1.19x	27.8 to 46.1	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	534.1	453.4	1.18xSignificant	499.7 to 570.4	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	56.4	51.8	1.09x	46.2 to 68.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12.1	11.3	1.07x	7.6 to 18.6	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 Mille Lacs County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,137.4	9,842.6	+13%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.9	75.3	-2%	years
Child mortality	66.5	59.8	+11%	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	125.8	96.9	+30%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	46.1	28.6	+61%	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.

Formaldehyde13.29 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Benzene1.35 per million
Acetaldehyde1.18 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 235 days: 224 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 34, peak 97.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge32
NPDES wastewater discharge permit23
Gas station (mapped facility)16
Small hazardous waste generator7
Air permit holder (minor source)5
Public airport5
Brownfield property4
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)4
Major air pollution source3
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Heliport1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Oil-fired power plant1
Scrapyard (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.

Crystal Cabinet Works Inc. -- Princeton, Princeton
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), n-Butyl alcohol, Certain glycol ethers, Methyl isobutyl ketone and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 295,045 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 55371CRYST1100C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.7
Spectrum Metal Finishing, Isle
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003803144 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Cemstone - Isle, Isle
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 5634WCPCSL15154 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Mar Tek Electronics, Onamia
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 56359MRTKL51RRA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Knife River Milaca Ready Mix, Milaca
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Mercury, Lead. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 5635WKNFRV18753 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Princeton (Mn), Princeton
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 2005 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Mille Lacs Wwtf, Onamia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110020564003 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Princeton Wwtp, Princeton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039749038 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Viking Gas Transmission - Milaca, Milaca
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001301859 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Princeton Public Utilities Commission, Princeton
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001301868 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Grand Casino Mille Lacs, Onamia
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022482838 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Isle Wwtp, Isle
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008806934 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Princeton Dump, Princeton
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038692616 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Mille Lacs Band Wiersgalla House, Onamia
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973861 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Mille Lacs Band Hhs Building, Onamia
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071973863 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Mille Lacs Marine, Onamia
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071980225 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Isle Wwtp, Isle
Industrial wastewater discharge. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit MN0023809: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 3
Kraemer Mining & Materials - Mille Lacs, Onamia
Industrial wastewater discharge. No Violation Identified.
NPDES permit MN0067806: (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 2.6
Wahkon Wwtp, Wahkon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110069198781 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
West Branch Construction, Princeton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003917995 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Onamia Wwtp, Onamia
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008807210 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Pease Wwtp, Pease
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110068602168 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2
Milaca Muni, Milaca
Public airport. O.
Record ID 18Y (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
Princeton Muni, Princeton
Commercial airport. O.
Record ID PNM (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2
City Of Milaca
Landfill (mapped facility). Mapped facility presence only; no compliance or exposure measurements.
Record ID way/1540373636 (OpenStreetMap contributors) Agency record
Severity 2

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 Mille Lacs 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 Mille Lacs 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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