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Mercer County, New Jersey: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Mercer County is 127.8 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 1,411 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (529), Air permit holder (minor source) (211), Small hazardous waste generator (130). 6 correctional facilities operate in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. EPA AirToxScreen estimates a lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics of 30 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: 40.2806, -74.6825.

How this county ranks in New Jersey

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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 Mercer County compared with the United States
CancerMeasureCounty rateU.S. rateTimes U.S.95% intervalYears
StomachNew cases8.16.61.23xSignificant7 to 9.42019-2023
ThyroidNew cases15.3131.18xSignificant13.6 to 17.12019-2023
PancreasNew cases16.313.91.17xSignificant14.6 to 182019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNew cases2118.51.14xSignificant19.1 to 232019-2023
LeukemiaNew cases16.214.51.12x14.5 to 182019-2023
BladderNew cases20.318.71.09x18.5 to 22.32019-2023
All cancerNew cases487.9453.41.08xSignificant478.8 to 497.22019-2023
PancreasDeaths12.111.31.07x10.7 to 13.62020-2024
Brain & nervous systemNew cases6.16.20.98x5.1 to 7.32019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvisNew cases17.317.90.97x15.6 to 19.12019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaDeaths4.54.80.94x3.7 to 5.52020-2024
Liver & bile ductNew cases8.18.70.93x7 to 9.42019-2023
BladderDeaths3.84.10.93x3 to 4.72020-2024
Liver & bile ductDeaths5.96.60.89x5 to 72020-2024
All cancerDeaths127.8143.20.89x123.2 to 132.52020-2024
Lung & bronchusNew cases46.251.80.89x43.5 to 49.12019-2023
Melanoma of the skinNew cases2123.80.88x19.1 to 232019-2023
StomachDeaths2.32.70.85x1.7 to 32020-2024
Melanoma of the skinDeaths1.720.85x1.2 to 2.42020-2024
EsophagusNew cases3.94.60.85x3.1 to 4.82019-2023
LeukemiaDeaths4.85.70.84x3.9 to 5.82020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)New cases13.816.40.84x10.2 to 18.42019-2023
Brain & nervous systemDeaths3.64.40.82x2.9 to 4.52020-2024
Lung & bronchusDeaths22.930.20.76x21 to 24.92020-2024
EsophagusDeaths2.83.70.76x2.2 to 3.62020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvisDeaths2.33.40.68x1.7 to 3.12020-2024

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 Mercer County
MeasureCountyU.S. medianDifferenceUnit
Premature death7,664.29,842.6-22%years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy78.475.3+4%years
Child mortality46.759.8-22%deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality5.16.2-18%deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths74.796.9-23%deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths35.428.6+24%deaths per 100,000

Air toxics and air quality

EPA AirToxScreen 2020

Lifetime cancer risk from outdoor air toxics: 30 in a million. EPA treats 100 in a million as the upper end of acceptable risk and 1 in a million as the goal.

  • Formaldehyde17.79 per million
  • Carbon Tetrachloride3 per million
  • Benzene1.85 per million
  • Acetaldehyde1.79 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 255 good, 6 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 43, peak 126.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

1,411 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

  • NPDES wastewater discharge permit529
  • Air permit holder (minor source)211
  • Small hazardous waste generator130
  • Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)120
  • Brownfield property104
  • Gas station (mapped facility)104
  • Large hazardous waste generator79
  • Rail grade crossing25
  • Dry cleaner (mapped facility)19
  • Solar power plant17
  • Major air pollution source13
  • Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)10
  • Heliport8
  • TRI reporting facility8
  • Correctional facility (prison or jail)6
  • Gas power plant5
  • Large greenhouse gas emitter4
  • Scrapyard (mapped facility)4
  • EPA air quality monitor3
  • Public airport2
  • Hazardous waste transporter2
  • Landfill (mapped facility)2
  • Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
  • Commercial airport1
  • Crematorium (mapped facility)1
  • Battery storage 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.

  1. Historic Potteries, Trenton

    Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 49.1. NPL Site.

    EPA site ID NJN000203535 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record

    Severity 10

  2. E R Squibb & Sons Llc, Princeton

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000582218 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 8.4

  3. Roller Bearing Co Of America, West Trenton

    TRI reporting facility. Penalties $13,500.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000321768 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 8

  4. B-Way Packaging Inc, Trenton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methyl isobutyl ketone, Xylene (mixed isomers), n-Butyl alcohol, Certain glycol ethers and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 14,385 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 08648MTLLT6LITH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 7.7

  5. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pennington

    Major air pollution source. Penalties $9,600.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110012648670 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7.5

  6. River Road Plant Chlorination And De-Chlorination, Princeton

    Major air pollution source. Penalties $459,375.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110029617298 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7.5

  7. Hovione Nj Facility Expansion, Hightstown

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Dichloromethane, Acetonitrile, Methanol, n-Butyl alcohol and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 4,392 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 0852WHVNNJ4LAKE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 7.3

  8. Congoleum Corp, Trenton

    Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $3,600.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000321722 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  9. Ewing Lawrence Sewer Auth, Lawrenceville

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $5,000.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000914716 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  10. Carter Rd Office And Research Condo Assoc, Hopewell Twp

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $13,401.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110009721195 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  11. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pennington

    Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $9,600.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110012648670 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  12. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pennington

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $9,600.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110012648670 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  13. Andrea Aromatics Inc, Trenton

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110014660054 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  14. River Road Plant Chlorination And De-Chlorination, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $459,375.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110029617298 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  15. Hamilton Twp Dept Water Pollution Control, Hamilton

    Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $155,650.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110056977080 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  16. Hamilton Twp Dept Water Pollution Control, Hamilton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $155,650.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110056977080 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 7

  17. B-Way Packaging Inc, Trenton

    TRI reporting facility. Penalties $11,320.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000321786 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.7

  18. E R Squibb & Sons Llc, Princeton

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000582218 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.5

  19. E R Squibb & Sons Llc, Princeton

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 15,144 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 08543BRSTLRTE20 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.2

  20. E R Squibb & Sons Llc, Princeton

    Large hazardous waste generator.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000582218 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  21. E R Squibb & Sons Llc, Princeton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000582218 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  22. Pseg Fossil Mercer Generating Station, Hamilton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000582236 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  23. Trenton City Dpw Sewer Auth, Trenton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000760329 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  24. East Windsor Water Pollution Control Plant, East Windsor

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110002342894 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  25. Church & Dwight Co Inc, Princeton

    Large hazardous waste generator.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110006360053 (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.

  • Mercer County Correction Ctr Wtp, Hopewell Twp

    EPA FRS registry ID
    110009838765
    Wastewater permit
    Yes, 12 quarters in noncompliance

    EPA detailed facility report

  • Mercer County Correctional Center-Wells 1,3,4 Treatment Plant/Rt. 29 Hopew, Lambertville

    EPA FRS registry ID
    110013230529
    Water system
    NJ1106002
    Health-based violations
    3 all time, 1 in 5 years
    All violations
    127
    Contaminants cited
    Groundwater Rule, Lead and Copper Rule
    Wastewater permit
    None on record

    EPA detailed facility report

  • Mercer County Correction Ctr Wtp, Hopewell Twp

    EPA FRS registry ID
    110070215531
    Wastewater permit
    Yes, 1 quarters in noncompliance

    EPA detailed facility report

  • New Jersey State Prison, Trenton

    EPA FRS registry ID
    110005975310
    Wastewater permit
    None on record

    EPA detailed facility report

  • Nj Department Of Corrections, West Trenton

    EPA FRS registry ID
    110070664055
    Wastewater permit
    None on record

    EPA detailed facility report

  • Juvenile Justice Commission, Ewing Twp

    EPA FRS registry ID
    110071879462
    Wastewater permit
    Yes

    EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Mercer County

  • New Jersey 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 Mercer County, and their findings.

  • New Jersey 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 Jersey health department, environmental epidemiology

    Health consultations or assessments by ATSDR or the state health department covering the county, and any exposure investigations.

  • New Jersey 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 Jersey 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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