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Jefferson County, New York: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Jefferson County is 167.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 661 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (292), Rail grade crossing (82), Large hazardous waste generator (65). 3 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: 44.0358, -75.8104.

How this county ranks in New York

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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 Jefferson County compared with the United States
CancerMeasureCounty rateU.S. rateTimes U.S.95% intervalYears
BladderNew cases27.618.71.48xSignificant23.6 to 32.12019-2023
Lung & bronchusNew cases74.951.81.45xSignificant68.3 to 822019-2023
LeukemiaNew cases20.114.51.39xSignificant16.7 to 23.92019-2023
Lung & bronchusDeaths41.330.21.37xSignificant36.5 to 46.62020-2024
EsophagusNew cases64.61.3x4.2 to 8.22019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaDeaths6.24.81.29x4.4 to 8.52020-2024
EsophagusDeaths4.73.71.27x3.2 to 6.82020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvisNew cases22.317.91.25xSignificant18.7 to 26.32019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphomaNew cases22.918.51.24xSignificant19.1 to 27.12019-2023
BladderDeaths4.94.11.2x3.3 to 72020-2024
PancreasDeaths13.411.31.19x10.7 to 16.52020-2024
Brain & nervous systemDeaths5.24.41.18x3.5 to 7.42020-2024
All cancerNew cases534.8453.41.18xSignificant516.4 to 553.82019-2023
PancreasNew cases16.313.91.17x13.3 to 19.82019-2023
All cancerDeaths167.3143.21.17xSignificant157.3 to 177.82020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvisDeaths3.73.41.09x2.4 to 5.52020-2024
LeukemiaDeaths6.15.71.07x4.3 to 8.52020-2024
Brain & nervous systemNew cases6.56.21.05x4.6 to 8.92019-2023
ThyroidNew cases13.6131.05x10.6 to 17.22019-2023
Melanoma of the skinNew cases24.823.81.04x20.9 to 29.32019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)New cases16.216.40.99x9.7 to 25.22019-2023
StomachNew cases66.60.91x4.2 to 8.32019-2023
Liver & bile ductNew cases6.88.70.78x4.9 to 9.12019-2023
Liver & bile ductDeaths4.36.60.65x2.8 to 6.32020-2024

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 Jefferson County
MeasureCountyU.S. medianDifferenceUnit
Premature death7,3789,842.6-25%years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy77.375.3+3%years
Child mortality59.359.8-1%deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality5.96.2-4%deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths65.696.9-32%deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths24.928.6-13%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.

  • Formaldehyde12.1 per million
  • Carbon Tetrachloride3 per million
  • Acetaldehyde1.19 per million
  • Benzene0.98 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 355 days: 336 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 34, peak 87.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

  • NPDES wastewater discharge permit292
  • Rail grade crossing82
  • Large hazardous waste generator65
  • Air permit holder (minor source)60
  • Gas station (mapped facility)47
  • Small hazardous waste generator36
  • Hydroelectric plant15
  • Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)10
  • Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)10
  • Solar power plant7
  • TRI reporting facility7
  • Major air pollution source5
  • Wastewater plant (mapped facility)4
  • Public airport3
  • Correctional facility (prison or jail)3
  • Commercial airport2
  • Brownfield property2
  • Landfill (mapped facility)2
  • Biomass power plant2
  • Superfund (NPL) site2
  • EPA air quality monitor1
  • Large greenhouse gas emitter1
  • Heliport1
  • Gas 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.

  1. Crown Cleaners of Watertown, Inc., Carthage

    Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 49. NPL Site.

    EPA site ID NYD986965333 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record

    Severity 10

  2. Black River PCBs, Town Of Champion

    Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 48. NPL Site.

    EPA site ID NYN000206296 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record

    Severity 10

  3. Us Army Fort Drum, Fort Drum

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Lead And Lead Compounds, Aluminum (fume or dust), Lead and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 622,435 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 13602SRMYFHQ10T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 8.9

  4. Great Lakes Cheese Of Ny, Inc, Adams

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000492137 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 8.7

  5. Hp Hood Lafargeville Plant, Lafargeville

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000326102 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 8.2

  6. Knowlton Technologies Llc, Watertown

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Phenol, Formaldehyde. Reports carcinogens. 11,346 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 13601KNWLT213FA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 7.6

  7. Great Lakes Cheese Of Ny Inc., Adams

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid. 73,751 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 13605GRTLK23PHE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.7

  8. Carthage Energy Cogen Facility, Carthage

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110019421017 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.5

  9. Knowlton Technologies Llc, Watertown

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000325988 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.5

  10. Slack Chemical Co Inc, Carthage

    TRI reporting facility. Penalties $231,300.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000326059 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.4

  11. Hp Hood Llc, Lafargeville

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid. 22,396 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 13656CRWLYTHERE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 6.3

  12. Us Army Fort Drum, Fort Drum

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110002152937 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6.3

  13. Carthage Energy Cogen Facility, Carthage

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110019421017 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 6

  14. Slack Chemical Co. Inc., Carthage

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Methanol, Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 3 more. 6,825 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 13619SLCKC465SC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 5.9

  15. Watertown Pollution Control Plant, Watertown

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $22,700.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110010583573 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.5

  16. Carthage Energy Cogen Facility, Carthage

    Large greenhouse gas emitter.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110019421017 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.5

  17. Massey Yard, Watertown

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $1,300.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110030927291 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.5

  18. West Carthage Ms4 Stormsewers, Carthage

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,900.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110064869744 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.5

  19. Lafargeville (V) Wwtp, Lafargeville

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $20,280.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110009826732 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.3

  20. Northern Marine Inc., Clayton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $2,600.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110019027220 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 5.3

  21. New York Air Brake Llc, Watertown

    Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 8 lbs released over 5 years.

    TRI facility ID 13601NWYRKSTARB (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)

    Severity 5.2

  22. Watertown Intl, Watertown

    Commercial airport. O.

    Record ID ART (FAA / U.S. DOT)

    Severity 5

  23. Knowlton Technologies Llc, Watertown

    Major air pollution source.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110000325988 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.8

  24. Climax Manufacturing Co, Carthage

    TRI reporting facility.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110001570452 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.8

  25. Clayton (V) Stp, Clayton

    NPDES wastewater discharge permit.

    EPA FRS registry ID 110009828963 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record

    Severity 4.8

Correctional facilities

Prisons, jails and corrections operations with an EPA facility record, and the drinking water and wastewater compliance attached to them.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Jefferson County

  • New York 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 Jefferson County, and their findings.

  • New York 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 York health department, environmental epidemiology

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

  • New York 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 York 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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