NH / county FIPS 33007 / county research

Coos County, New Hampshire: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Coos County is 164.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Brain & nervous system deaths at 1.9 times the U.S. rate and Pancreas deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 406 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (157), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (84), Air permit holder (minor source) (37). 2 correctional facilities operate in the county. 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: 44.6951, -71.3145.

How this county ranks in New Hampshire

View on the heat map Scan an address in this county

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 Coos County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Bladder	New cases	35.9	18.7	1.92xSignificant	29 to 44.3	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	8.2	4.4	1.86xSignificant	5.1 to 13	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	7.8	4.6	1.7xSignificant	4.9 to 12.5	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	6.7	4.1	1.63x	4 to 11	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	8.2	5.7	1.44x	4.6 to 13.8	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	15.9	11.3	1.41xSignificant	11.5 to 21.9	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	9	6.6	1.36x	5.4 to 14.5	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	7.8	6.2	1.26x	4.3 to 13.4	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	18	14.5	1.24x	12.4 to 25.7	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	16.1	13.9	1.16x	11.8 to 22.1	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	164.3	143.2	1.15xSignificant	149.2 to 180.9	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	26.7	23.8	1.12x	20.9 to 34.3	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	20.3	18.5	1.1x	14.7 to 27.6	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	488.8	453.4	1.08xSignificant	460.8 to 518.3	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	13.6	13	1.05x	8.5 to 20.9	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	52.5	51.8	1.01x	44.4 to 62.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	28.9	30.2	0.96x	23 to 36.2	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	16.4	17.9	0.92x	11.7 to 22.9	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	5.3	6.6	0.8x	3 to 9.4	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	4.9	8.7	0.56x	2.8 to 8.9	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 Coos County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	11,270	9,842.6	+15%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	73.9	75.3	-2%	years
Child mortality	80.6	59.8	+35%	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	157.8	96.9	+63%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	57.5	28.6	+101%	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.

Formaldehyde9.87 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.91 per million
Acetaldehyde1.05 per million
Benzene0.82 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 345 days: 281 good, 4 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 44, peak 119.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing157
NPDES wastewater discharge permit84
Air permit holder (minor source)37
Gas station (mapped facility)37
Brownfield property33
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)7
Heliport6
Hydroelectric plant5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)4
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)4
Major air pollution source3
Public airport3
Commercial airport3
EPA air quality monitor2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)2
Large hazardous waste generator2
Small hazardous waste generator2
Industrial wastewater discharge2
Biomass power plant2
Wind power plant2
Scrapyard (mapped facility)2
TRI reporting facility2
Airfield1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Oil-fired power plant1
Superfund (NPL) site1

Highest-severity records

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

Chlor-Alkali Facility (Former), Berlin
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 30.5. NPL Site.
EPA site ID NHN000103313 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Fci Berlin, Berlin
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 3,259 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 0357WFCBRLPBX69 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.2
Fraser Pulp Mill (Former ), Berlin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $25,656.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007681632 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Lancaster Wastewater Treatment Facility, Lancaster
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006619301 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Federal Correctional Institution Berlin, Berlin
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040500179 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Gorham Sand & Gravel Pike Industries Inc, Gorham
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 5 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 03581GRHMS44LAN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.1
Pak 2000, Lancaster
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007693442 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
White Mountain Paper Co, Gorham
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Polycyclic aromatic compounds. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 03581JMSRVCASCA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Fitch Fuel Co Inc., Lancaster
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylbenzene, Benzene, Toluene, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 03584FTCHF178SU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Fraser Pulp Mill (Former ), Berlin
Air permit holder (minor source). Penalties $25,656.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007681632 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Lost Nation, Groveton
Oil-fired power plant.
Record ID 2362 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 4
Fitch Fuel Co Inc., Lancaster
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024942393 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Northumberland Village Water Pollution Control Facility, Groveton
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009839835 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Berlin Pollution Control Facility, Berlin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110004101409 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Dg Whitefield Power Generation Facility, Whitefield
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007686076 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Mount Carberry Landfill, Berlin
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022482936 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Groveton Wastewater Treatment Plant, Northumberland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110028120897 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Burgess Biopower, Berlin
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110066924001 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Whitefield Wastewater Treatment Facility, Whitefield
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009839979 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Cross Power Hydroelectric Station, Berlin
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043479606 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Groveton Paper Board Mill (Former), Northumberland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000313919 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Fraser Pulp Mill (Former ), Berlin
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007681632 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Groveton Paper Board Mill (Parcel B-1), Northumberland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013243230 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Bartlett School, Berlin
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018939791 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Spring Street Garage, Colebrook
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110038702623 (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.

Northern Nh Correctional Facility, Berlin
EPA FRS registry ID
110010353198
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report
Federal Correctional Institution Berlin, Berlin
EPA FRS registry ID
110040500179
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Coos County

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

Scan an address in Coos County View on the heat map All New Hampshire counties