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Cook County, Illinois: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Cook County is 136.9 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2. The strongest disease signals are Stomach deaths at 1.3 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 13,250 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Air permit holder (minor source) (4,660), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (1,742), Gas station (mapped facility) (1,138). One correctional facility operates in the county. 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: 41.8141, -87.7541.

How this county ranks in Illinois

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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 Cook County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Stomach	Deaths	3.4	2.7	1.26xSignificant	3.2 to 3.6	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	8.3	6.6	1.26xSignificant	8 to 8.6	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.5	13.9	1.04xSignificant	14.1 to 14.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.7	11.3	1.04x	11.3 to 12.1	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.6	6.6	1x	6.3 to 6.9	2020-2024
Thyroid	Deaths	0.5	0.5	1x	0.4 to 0.6	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	8.6	8.7	0.99x	8.3 to 9	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.5	5.7	0.96x	5.3 to 5.8	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	436.3	453.4	0.96x	433.9 to 438.7	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	136.9	143.2	0.96x	135.5 to 138.2	2020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	15.4	16.4	0.94x	14.3 to 16.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.3	18.5	0.94x	16.9 to 17.8	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	48.3	51.8	0.93x	47.6 to 49.1	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	16.8	18.7	0.9x	16.3 to 17.3	2019-2023
Childhood cancer (under 15)	Deaths	1.7	1.9	0.89x	1.3 to 2.1	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	11.6	13	0.89x	11.2 to 12	2019-2023
Esophagus	New cases	4.1	4.6	0.89x	3.9 to 4.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	26.9	30.2	0.89x	26.4 to 27.5	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	15.7	17.9	0.88x	15.2 to 16.1	2019-2023
Brain & nervous system	New cases	5.4	6.2	0.87x	5.2 to 5.7	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	12.5	14.5	0.86x	12.1 to 12.9	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.1	4.8	0.85x	3.9 to 4.3	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	3.7	4.4	0.84x	3.5 to 3.9	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	2.8	3.4	0.82x	2.7 to 3	2020-2024
Esophagus	Deaths	3	3.7	0.81x	2.8 to 3.2	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	3.3	4.1	0.8x	3.1 to 3.6	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	16.9	23.8	0.71x	16.5 to 17.4	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	1.3	2	0.65x	1.1 to 1.4	2020-2024

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 Cook County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,535.9	9,842.6	-13%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.4	75.3	+3%	years
Child mortality	56.5	59.8	-5%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.2	6.2	-1%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	83.1	96.9	-14%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	39.2	28.6	+37%	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.

Formaldehyde16.53 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Naphthalene2.11 per million
Benzene1.79 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 149 good, 25 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 53, peak 168.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

13,250 active records inside the county from EPA ECHO, TRI, Superfund, Brownfields, NPDES, EIA, FAA, FRA and corrections data.

Air permit holder (minor source)4,660
NPDES wastewater discharge permit1,742
Gas station (mapped facility)1,138
Rail grade crossing1,117
Small hazardous waste generator935
Industrial wastewater discharge718
Brownfield property638
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)568
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)336
Large hazardous waste generator294
TRI reporting facility290
Combined sewer overflow outfall247
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)178
Major air pollution source134
Hazardous waste transporter67
Landfill (mapped facility)44
Heliport27
Scrapyard (mapped facility)26
Large greenhouse gas emitter24
EPA air quality monitor19
Gas power plant17
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)10
Commercial airport4
Solar power plant4
Superfund (NPL) site4
Oil-fired power plant3
Crematorium (mapped facility)2
Biomass power plant2
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Coal 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.

Allied Tube & Conduit, Harvey
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $17,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000432577 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
Lake Calumet Cluster, Chicago
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 30. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ILD000716852 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Estech General Chemical Company, Calumet City
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 30. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ILD099213498 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Schroud Property, Chicago
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 50. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ILN000505540 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Acme Steel Coke Plant, Chicago
Superfund (NPL) site. Hazard Ranking System score 30. NPL Site.
EPA site ID ILN000509241 (U.S. EPA Superfund (SEMS/NPL)) Agency record
Severity 10
Ingredion Incorporated, Bedford Park
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110017414742 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.6
Koppers Inc, Cicero
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110011828068 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.4
Ingredion Inc Argo Plant, Bedford Park
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Acetaldehyde, Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Methanol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,997,045 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60501CRNPR6400A (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.3
Ardagh Metal Beverage Usa Inc Re : Chicago Plant, Chicago
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, n-Butyl alcohol, Hydrogen fluoride, Manganese and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,391,924 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60609MRCNN1101W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.2
Ford Motor Co Chicago Assembly, Chicago
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Butyl alcohol, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Xylene (mixed isomers), Methyl isobutyl ketone and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 1,388,198 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60633FRDMT12600 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9.2
Gerresheimer Glass Inc, Chicago Heights
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $208,820.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000432443 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9.2
Koppers Inc, Cicero
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Maleic anhydride, Phthalic anhydride, Naphthalene, Benzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 787,983 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60650KPPRS3900S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 9
Ford Motor Co. - Chgo Assembly Plant, Chicago
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000435191 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 9
Heligear Acquisition Co Dbanorthstar Aerospace (Chicago) Inc, Bedford Park
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $12,500.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000899608 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.9
Wheatland Tube Co - Chicago Div, Chicago
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Certain glycol ethers, 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene, Zinc (fume or dust) and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 583,862 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60609MNLYL4435S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.9
Pvs Chemical, Inc., Chicago
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $174,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000435208 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.7
Bway Corp, Chicago
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, n-Butyl alcohol, Methyl isobutyl ketone, Xylene (mixed isomers) and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 211,846 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60623CNTRL3200S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.6
Nylok Fastener Corp, Lincolnwood
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001337214 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.6
Westlake Epoxy Inc, Bedford Park
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Methyl isobutyl ketone, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 151,164 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60501SHLLC8600W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
Sloan Valve Co, Franklin Park
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: 1-Bromopropane, Nitric acid, Nickel And Nickel Compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 147,636 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60131SLNVL10500 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.5
W R Grace & Co, Chicago
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Molybdenum trioxide, Nickel And Nickel Compounds, Ammonia, Nickel compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 133,344 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60629KTLCD4099W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Edsal Manufacturing Co Inc, Chicago
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Certain glycol ethers, sec-Butyl alcohol, n-Butyl alcohol, Manganese and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 129,230 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60609DSLMF4400S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Real Alloy Recycling Llc, Chicago Heights
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Aluminum (fume or dust), Hydrochloric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size), Copper compounds, Copper And Copper Compounds and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 129,057 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60411CLMBL400EA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Rose Packing A Div Of Osi Industries Llc, Chicago
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Naphthalene, Ammonia. Reports carcinogens. 128,978 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60638RSPCK4900S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Shell Pipeline Company Lp, Arlington Heights
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000428680 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.4

Correctional facilities

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

Cook Co Jail S Campus, Chicago
EPA FRS registry ID
110005914261
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Cook County

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