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DeKalb County, Illinois: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in DeKalb County is 165.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Melanoma of the skin deaths at 1.9 times the U.S. rate and Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.2 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 689 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (164), Rail grade crossing (157), Air permit holder (minor source) (124). 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: 41.8822, -88.7714.

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 DeKalb County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	3.7	2	1.85xSignificant	2.1 to 5.8	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	41.7	23.8	1.75xSignificant	36.2 to 47.8	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	10.7	6.6	1.62xSignificant	8 to 14	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	20.3	13	1.56xSignificant	16.3 to 25	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	5.4	3.7	1.46x	3.5 to 7.9	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	6.9	4.8	1.44x	4.7 to 9.7	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	6.2	4.6	1.35x	4.2 to 8.8	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	3.6	2.7	1.33x	2.2 to 5.7	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	24.4	18.5	1.32xSignificant	20.2 to 29.2	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4.4	3.4	1.29x	2.8 to 6.7	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.6	4.4	1.27x	3.7 to 8.2	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	573	453.4	1.26xSignificant	552 to 594.5	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	18.3	14.5	1.26xSignificant	14.8 to 22.6	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	23.4	18.7	1.25xSignificant	19.3 to 28	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	16.4	13.9	1.18x	13 to 20.4	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	35.4	30.2	1.17xSignificant	30.5 to 41	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	7.7	6.6	1.17x	5.5 to 10.6	2020-2024
All cancer	Deaths	165.4	143.2	1.16xSignificant	154.4 to 177	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	59.8	51.8	1.15xSignificant	53.3 to 67	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	13	11.3	1.15x	10.1 to 16.6	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.7	6.2	1.08x	4.6 to 9.5	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	18.7	17.9	1.04x	15.1 to 22.9	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	3.8	4.1	0.93x	2.3 to 5.8	2020-2024
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7.3	8.7	0.84x	5.2 to 10	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	4.3	5.7	0.75x	2.7 to 6.6	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 DeKalb County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,707.8	9,842.6	-22%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.3	75.3	+3%	years
Child mortality	46.3	59.8	-23%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	5.1	6.2	-17%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	61.5	96.9	-37%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	21.3	28.6	-26%	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.

Formaldehyde14.64 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.96 per million
Acetaldehyde1.31 per million
Benzene1.04 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit164
Rail grade crossing157
Air permit holder (minor source)124
Industrial wastewater discharge105
Gas station (mapped facility)40
TRI reporting facility16
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)16
Public airport15
Small hazardous waste generator13
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)12
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)6
Large hazardous waste generator5
Solar power plant5
Major air pollution source3
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Heliport2
Commercial airport1
Brownfield property1
Landfill (mapped facility)1
Wind 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.

Seymour Of Sycamore Llc, Sycamore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Methyl isobutyl ketone and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 12,287 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60178SYMRF917CR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
Seymour Of Sycamore, Sycamore
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $12,900.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000431854 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.3
Cst Industries Inc., Dekalb
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Manganese, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 445 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60115SMTHH345HA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.5
Cst Storage, Dekalb
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $75,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000768544 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.9
Forge Group Dekalb Llc Dba Dekalb Forge Co, Dekalb
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Manganese, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 65 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6011WDKLBF1832E (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.9
Natural Polymers Llc, Cortland
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene glycol, Nonylphenol Ethoxylates, Nonylphenol, Diisocyanates. 3,500 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6011WNTRLP14438 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.7
Dekalb Forge Co, Dekalb
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $120,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001813618 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Kishwaukee Forge Co, Cortland
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001365264 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Duro Cast Inc, Somonauk
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead. Reports carcinogens. 4 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 60552DRCST15SGR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5
Ideal Industries Inc, Sycamore
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $35,000.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000903292 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Elgiloy Specialty Metals, Sycamore
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $32,028.
EPA FRS registry ID 110037065715 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Seymour Of Sycamore, Sycamore
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $12,900.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000431854 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District, Dekalb
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000731566 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Ideal Industries Inc., Sycamore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead compounds, Lead And Lead Compounds, Lead, Antimony compounds. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 6017WDLNDS18SPR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.6
Ozinga Ready Mix Concrete Inc. - Sycamore, Sycamore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Mercury, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution). Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 6017WZNGRD284MA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.6
Ozinga Ready-Mix-Dekalb, Dekalb
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution). Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 6011WZNGRD222CU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
West Irving Die Inc, Sandwich
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000433763 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Lowe'S Of De Kalb, Il #59, Dekalb
Small hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110003049629 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Lee And Sons, Inc.-Lee Quarry, Near Irene
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063915312 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Crafco Inc. - Dekalb, Dekalb
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Benzo[g,h,i]perylene, Polycyclic aromatic compounds. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 6011WCRFCN234HA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Driv-Lok Inc., Sycamore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Chromium. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 60178DRVLK114PA (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Elgiloy Specialty Metals, Sycamore
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Cobalt, Chromium. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 6017WLGLYS356NC (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Seymour Of Sycamore, Sycamore
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $12,900.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000431854 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3
Duro Cast Inc, Somonauk
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024470945 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.1
Nehring Electrical Works Co, Dekalb
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000430819 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 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 DeKalb 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 DeKalb 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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