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Ashland County, Wisconsin: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Ashland County is 151.9 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Pancreas deaths at 1.7 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 171 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (77), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (32), Gas station (mapped facility) (17). 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: 46.3403, -90.7366.

How this county ranks in Wisconsin

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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 Ashland County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Pancreas	Deaths	19.7	11.3	1.74xSignificant	12.4 to 30.3	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	21	18.7	1.12x	13.4 to 32.1	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	16.1	14.5	1.11x	9.7 to 25.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	15.4	13.9	1.11x	9.2 to 24.9	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	32.6	30.2	1.08x	23.6 to 44.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	19.2	17.9	1.07x	11.3 to 30.7	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	151.9	143.2	1.06x	130.3 to 176.6	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	464.2	453.4	1.02x	423.4 to 508.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	50.4	51.8	0.97x	38.9 to 65	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	15.3	18.5	0.83x	8.7 to 25.5	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	17	23.8	0.71x	9.1 to 29	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 Ashland County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	12,409.8	9,842.6	+26%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	74	75.3	-2%	years
Child mortality	n/a	59.8	n/a	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	143.5	96.9	+48%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	54.7	28.6	+91%	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.

Formaldehyde9.83 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride3 per million
Acetaldehyde0.95 per million
Benzene0.85 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 298 good, 13 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 36, peak 188.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing77
NPDES wastewater discharge permit32
Gas station (mapped facility)17
Brownfield property16
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)4
Small hazardous waste generator4
Air permit holder (minor source)2
Heliport2
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Major air pollution source1
EPA air quality monitor1
Airfield1
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Large hazardous waste generator1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Hydroelectric plant1
Gas power plant1
Superfund (NPL) site1
TRI reporting facility1

Highest-severity records

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

Ashland/Northern States Power Lakefront, Ashland
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID WISFN0507952 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Xcel Energy Bay Front Plant, Ashland
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Zinc compounds, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Barium And Barium Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 2,385 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 54806NRTHR122N1 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Xcel Energy Bay Front Generating Station, Ashland
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000422846 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Ashland Sewage Utility, Ashland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110002052126 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
C. G. Bretting Manufacturing Co. Inc., Ashland
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Chromium, Cobalt and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 15 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 5480WCGBRT341LA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4
BAD RIVER TRIBAL SCHOOL - ODANAH
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 550030010 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5.2
Xcel Energy Bay Front Generating Station, Ashland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000422846 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Xcel Energy Bay Front Generating Station, Ashland
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000422846 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Bad River Indian Reservation, New Odanah
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010886041 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Bad River Wwwtp, Odanah
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010886050 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Butternut, Village Of, Butternut
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070018369 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Ashland Auto And Truck Recyclers, Ashland
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070945851 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
C. G. Bretting Manufacturing Co., Inc., Ashland
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110055498625 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Xcel Energy Ashland Mgp, Ashland
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110005546016 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Glidden Sanitary District, Glidden
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010892677 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Bay Front, Ashland
Gas power plant.
Record ID 3982 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3
Former Clarkson Coal Dock, Ashland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110015336894 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Chicago Iron South, Ashland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043636955 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
City Of Ashland - 201-03572-0000, Ashland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043637641 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
23rd Avenue Undeveloped Row, Ashland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043637678 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
City Of Ashland - 201-03612-1000, Ashland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043637687 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Ashland County - 201-03612-0000, Ashland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043637703 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Timeless Timber, Ashland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110043692359 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
Baron Radiator Shop, Ashland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110044763020 (U.S. EPA Brownfields (ACRES)) Agency record
Severity 3
City Of Ashland - 201-03614-0000, Ashland
Brownfield property.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071967941 (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.

No correctional facility with an EPA record is located in this county.

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Ashland County

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