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Portage County, Ohio: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Portage County is 164.1 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Esophagus deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 600 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (186), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (96), Rail grade crossing (95). 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: 41.1673, -81.1975.

How this county ranks in Ohio

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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 Portage County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Esophagus	New cases	6.7	4.6	1.46xSignificant	5.3 to 8.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	2.9	2	1.45x	1.9 to 4.2	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	33.1	23.8	1.39xSignificant	29.4 to 37	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	5.1	3.7	1.38xSignificant	3.9 to 6.6	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	5.3	4.1	1.29x	4 to 7	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.6	4.4	1.27x	4.2 to 7.4	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	22.7	18.7	1.21xSignificant	19.9 to 25.9	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	62.6	51.8	1.21xSignificant	57.9 to 67.6	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	36.3	30.2	1.2xSignificant	32.8 to 40.2	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5.7	4.8	1.19x	4.3 to 7.5	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	3.9	3.4	1.15x	2.8 to 5.4	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	164.1	143.2	1.15xSignificant	156.3 to 172.3	2020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	18.7	16.4	1.14x	11.7 to 28.3	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	12.8	11.3	1.13x	10.7 to 15.3	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	20.1	18.5	1.09x	17.3 to 23.3	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	6.1	5.7	1.07x	4.6 to 7.9	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	474.8	453.4	1.05xSignificant	461 to 488.9	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.8	6.6	1.03x	5.3 to 8.6	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	13	13	1x	10.6 to 15.9	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6	6.2	0.97x	4.4 to 7.9	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	17.2	17.9	0.96x	14.6 to 20.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	12.9	13.9	0.93x	10.8 to 15.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7.8	8.7	0.9x	6.2 to 9.9	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	2.4	2.7	0.89x	1.6 to 3.7	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	12.5	14.5	0.86x	10.2 to 15.1	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	5.3	6.6	0.8x	4 to 7	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 Portage County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,136.3	9,842.6	-17%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.4	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	39.6	59.8	-34%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	7	6.2	+12%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	73.8	96.9	-24%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	25.9	28.6	-9%	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.

Formaldehyde16.18 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.93 per million
Acetaldehyde1.62 per million
Benzene1.45 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 245 days: 190 good, 2 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 43, peak 150.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Air permit holder (minor source)186
NPDES wastewater discharge permit96
Rail grade crossing95
Gas station (mapped facility)48
Small hazardous waste generator36
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)27
TRI reporting facility26
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)23
Brownfield property14
Large hazardous waste generator10
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)8
Scrapyard (mapped facility)7
Major air pollution source6
Public airport4
Hazardous waste transporter4
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)2
Landfill (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Airfield1
Commercial airport1
Heliport1
Gas 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.

Summit National, Deerfield Township
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 52.3. NPL Site.
EPA site ID OHD980609994 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Custom Pultrusions Inc., Aurora
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 137,698 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44202PLTRS1331S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Smithers-Oasis Na, Kent
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Formaldehyde, Phenol. Reports carcinogens. 34,559 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44240SMTHR919MA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
General Aluminum Rootstown Div, Ravenna
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Aluminum (fume or dust), Lead, Cumene hydroperoxide. Reports carcinogens. 32,605 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44266FSFND5159S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Synthomer Inc-Mogadore Plant, Mogadore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Styrene, 1,3-Butadiene, Acrylic acid and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 19,273 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44260DVRST165SC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Duracote Corp, Ravenna
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Antimony And Antimony Compounds, Antimony compounds. Reports carcinogens. 5,484 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44266DRCTC350NO (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Dudick Inc, Streetsboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Diisocyanates. Reports carcinogens. 2,015 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44241DDCKC1818S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Synthomer Inc., Mogadore
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $16,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000388946 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.9
Harbison Walker Refractories Plant, Windham
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001623002 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.6
Cleveland Steel Container Corp - Streetsboro Plant, Streetsboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers. 35,925 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44241CLVLN10048 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Dermamed Coating Co-Plant 2, Tallmadge
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, n-Hexane. 29,353 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4424WDRMMD271PR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.4
Harbisonwalker International Inc, Windham
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Phenol, Aluminum (fume or dust), Ethylene glycol. 18,091 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44288HRBSNEASTC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Schneller Llc, Kent
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Decabromodiphenyl oxide, Antimony compounds. 15,526 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44240SCHNL6019P (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Cleveland Steel Container Corp - Streetsboro (1667080028), Streetsboro
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000816270 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Custom Pultrusions Inc, Aurora
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000388385 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Polymerics Inc, Kent
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Thiram, 2-Mercaptobenzothiazole. Reports carcinogens. 75 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44240PLYMR1540S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Kent Water Reclamation Facility, Kent
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000735358 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Smithers-Oasis U.S.A. (1667040037), Kent
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000388731 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Dermamed Coating Co - Plant 2, Kent
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110060258625 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.7
Saco Aei Polymers Inc., Aurora
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Antimony compounds, Antimony And Antimony Compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds. 2,770 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44202MCRMR1395D (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.6
Schneller Llc (1667040015), Kent
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000840485 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Vwr Chemicals Llc, Aurora
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Sodium nitrite, Lithium carbonate. 1,936 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 4420WVWRCH22LEN (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
Mantaline Corp, Mantua
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 18 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44255MNTLN4754E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
Duracote Corp, Ravenna
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000766644 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Sika Mbcc Us Llc - Streetsboro, Streetsboro
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lithium carbonate, Lead, Sodium nitrite. Reports carcinogens. 14 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 44241MSTRB9658S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4

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 Portage County

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