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Oconto County, Wisconsin: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Oconto County is 151.8 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Esophagus deaths at 2.1 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 218 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (84), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (66), Gas station (mapped facility) (22). 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: 45.0269, -88.3036.

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 Oconto County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Esophagus	Deaths	7.6	3.7	2.05xSignificant	4.8 to 11.8	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	25.2	18.7	1.35xSignificant	19.9 to 31.9	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	6.1	4.6	1.33x	3.6 to 10	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	17.9	14.5	1.23x	12.8 to 24.4	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	8.1	6.6	1.23x	5.2 to 12.3	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.9	6.6	1.2x	5.1 to 12.1	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	16.6	13.9	1.19x	12.3 to 22.2	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	13.1	11.3	1.16x	9.4 to 18	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	35	30.2	1.16x	28.8 to 42.5	2020-2024
Leukemia	Deaths	6.6	5.7	1.16x	3.7 to 11	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20.5	17.9	1.15x	15.4 to 27	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	58.1	51.8	1.12x	49.9 to 67.4	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	14.5	13	1.12x	9.7 to 20.9	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	25.5	23.8	1.07x	19.2 to 33.3	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	151.8	143.2	1.06x	138 to 166.8	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	469.2	453.4	1.03x	443.6 to 496.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8	8.7	0.92x	5 to 12.4	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	14.2	18.5	0.77x	10.2 to 19.4	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 Oconto County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	6,794.1	9,842.6	-31%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	78.5	75.3	+4%	years
Child mortality	44.3	59.8	-26%	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	102.5	96.9	+6%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	16.2	28.6	-43%	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.

Formaldehyde11.36 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride3 per million
Acetaldehyde1.18 per million
Benzene0.86 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

No EPA air quality monitor reports daily AQI for this county.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing84
NPDES wastewater discharge permit66
Gas station (mapped facility)22
Major air pollution source5
TRI reporting facility5
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)5
Small hazardous waste generator4
Air permit holder (minor source)3
Public airport3
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)3
Brownfield property3
Large hazardous waste generator3
Hazardous waste transporter3
Hydroelectric plant3
Airfield2
Commercial airport1
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Heliport1
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.

Kcs International Inc Cruisers Yachts Div Plant 1, Oconto
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene, Methyl methacrylate. Reports carcinogens. 279,803 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 54153CRSRS804PE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.7
Carfair Composites Usa Inc - Gillett, Gillett
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 22,538 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 54124RCHTC431EM (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.8
Oconto Falls Tissue Incorporated, Oconto Falls
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000421151 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
Kcs International Inc Cruisers Yachts Div Plant 2, Oconto
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Styrene. Reports carcinogens. 5,705 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 54153CRSRS205CH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Saputo Cheese Usa Inc - Lena, Lena
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054818006 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
Saputo Cheese Usa Inc, Lena
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid. 15,812 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 54139FRGCHHWY14 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Cruisers Plt 1 Div Of Kcs International Inc, Oconto
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009515818 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
St Paper-Oconto Falls, Oconto Falls
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds. 7,990 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 54154SCTTP106EC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6
Carfair Composites Usa Inc, Gillett
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000420928 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Cruisers Plant #2, Div Of Ksc Int. Inc., Oconto
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000421133 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Oconto Falls Tissue Incorporated, Oconto Falls
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000421151 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Wi Rng Hub North Llc, Gillett
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071084136 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Oconto Falls Tissue Incorporated, Oconto Falls
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000421151 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Zahns Farms Llc, Gillett, Town Of
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040441705 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Iron Horse Recycling, Gillett
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070801795 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
North Shore Sanitary District, Little River
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070938106 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Abrams Sanitary District 1, Abrams
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010885104 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Oconto Falls Wastewater Treatment Facility, Oconto Falls
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039718393 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Saputo Cheese Usa Inc - Lena, Lena
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054818006 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Carfair Composites Usa Inc, Gillett
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000420928 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Suring Wastewater Treatment Facility, Suring
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110039714208 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Cruisers Plant #2, Div Of Ksc Int. Inc., Oconto
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000421133 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Anr Pipeline Co -Mountain Compressor Station, Suring
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006143556 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Cruisers Plt 1 Div Of Kcs International Inc, Oconto
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009515818 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Lena Wastewater Treatment Facility, Lena
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010883918 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3

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 Oconto 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 Oconto 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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