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Elk County, Pennsylvania: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Elk County is 157.2 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. Federal databases place 390 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (140), Rail grade crossing (89), Air permit holder (minor source) (53). 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: 41.4113, -78.7569.

How this county ranks in Pennsylvania

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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 Elk County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Thyroid	New cases	28.9	13	2.22xSignificant	20.6 to 39.5	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	21.9	14.5	1.51xSignificant	15.9 to 29.7	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	9.2	6.2	1.48x	5.1 to 15.4	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	12.5	8.7	1.44x	8.1 to 18.8	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	24	18.7	1.28x	17.9 to 31.9	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	37	30.2	1.23x	29.9 to 45.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	21.8	17.9	1.22x	15.9 to 29.6	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	6.9	5.7	1.21x	4.1 to 11.4	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	536.8	453.4	1.18xSignificant	505.7 to 569.4	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	15.6	13.9	1.12x	11.3 to 21.4	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.4	6.6	1.12x	4.4 to 12.1	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	157.2	143.2	1.1x	141.8 to 174	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	54.8	51.8	1.06x	45.9 to 65.2	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	19.5	18.5	1.05x	14.1 to 26.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	10.5	11.3	0.93x	7.1 to 15.6	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	19	23.8	0.8x	13.5 to 26.3	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 Elk County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,195.9	9,842.6	-7%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.6	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	51.1	59.8	-14%	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	123.9	96.9	+28%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	36.3	28.6	+27%	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.

Formaldehyde13.02 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.86 per million
Benzene1.38 per million
Acetaldehyde1.27 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 361 days: 344 good, 0 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 36, peak 84.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit140
Rail grade crossing89
Air permit holder (minor source)53
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)26
TRI reporting facility24
Small hazardous waste generator20
Gas station (mapped facility)12
Large hazardous waste generator7
Major air pollution source5
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Heliport2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
EPA air quality monitor1
Commercial airport1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Biomass power plant1

Highest-severity records

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

Domtar - Johnsonburg Mill, Johnsonburg
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Ammonia, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,438,086 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 15845PNNTC100CE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.2
Speer Carbon Co Llc, Saint Marys
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Copper. Reports carcinogens. 16,945 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 1585WCRBNM86THE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
St. Marys Carbon Co Inc, Saint Marys
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 5,144 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 15857STMRY1939S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.3
Domtar Paper Co/Johnsonburg Mill, Johnsonburg
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000330400 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Mersen Usa Gs Corp. - St Marys, Saint Marys
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Naphthalene, Copper, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,764 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 15857CRBNF1032T (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Graftech Usa Llc, Saint Marys
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Ethylene glycol. Reports carcinogens. 1,708 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 15857CRBNG800TH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Morgan Advanced Materials St Marys Site, Saint Marys
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Polycyclic aromatic compounds, Zinc compounds, Benzo[g,h,i]perylene. Reports carcinogens. 380 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 15857PRCRB441HA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Mersen Usa/St Marys, Saint Marys
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $39,956.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000330473 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Graftech Usa Llc/St Marys, Saint Marys
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000330482 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Sinterite Products Div Of Gpi, Saint Marys
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 247 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 1585WSNTRT31STA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Modern Industries Kersey Div, Kersey
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 19,316 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 1584WMDRNN135GR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Sgl Carbon Corp/St Marys Plt, Saint Marys
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000879434 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.3
Keystone Powdered Metal Co, Saint Marys
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Manganese compounds, Nickel, Manganese And Manganese Compounds. Reports carcinogens. 191 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 15857KYSTN1935S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Keystone Powdered Metal Co - St Marys Facility, Saint Marys
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110022532632 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Gasbarre Thermal Processing Systems, Saint Marys
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 83 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 1585WGSBRR823WA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6
Hoeganaes Corp, Ridgway
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Copper. Reports carcinogens. 66 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 15853RCMTLRIVER (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Metaldyne Sintered Stmarys, Saint Marys
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Manganese compounds, Copper. Reports carcinogens. 60 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 15857WNDFLWESTC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Metaldyne Sintered Components Ridgway, Ridgway
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Manganese compounds, Copper, Manganese And Manganese Compounds. Reports carcinogens. 45 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 15853XTCMTBOOTJ (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Advantage Metal Powders Inc., Ridgway
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 42 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 1585WDVNTG44SPL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Domtar Paper Co/Johnsonburg Mill, Johnsonburg
Major air pollution source. Penalties $309.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071722707 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
Sgl Carbon Llc, Saint Marys
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chlorine. 2,635 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 15857SGLCR900TH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.6
Allegheny Coatings, Ridgway
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc (fume or dust). 2,000 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 1585WLLGHN224RI (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
St Marys Carbon Co/St Marys, Saint Marys
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015825981 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Speer Carbon Co, Saint Marys
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039122927 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Allegheny Coatings, Ridgway
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070753777 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.2

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 Elk County

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