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Lee County, Illinois: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Lee County is 159.4 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. The strongest disease signals are Lung & bronchus deaths at 1.3 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 361 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Industrial wastewater discharge (74), Air permit holder (minor source) (71), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (71). One correctional facility operates in the county, at least one with health-based drinking water violations on record. 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: 41.7447, -89.2866.

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 Lee County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Brain & nervous system	New cases	8.8	6.2	1.42x	5.2 to 14.3	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	16.9	13	1.3x	11.3 to 24.3	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	38	30.2	1.26xSignificant	30.8 to 46.5	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	60.4	51.8	1.17x	51.4 to 70.8	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	20.3	17.9	1.13x	14.7 to 27.5	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	159.4	143.2	1.11xSignificant	144.1 to 176.1	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	19.8	18.7	1.06x	14.7 to 26.3	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	475.5	453.4	1.05x	447.4 to 505.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	New cases	14.2	13.9	1.02x	10 to 19.8	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	6.7	6.6	1.02x	3.7 to 11.3	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.4	18.5	0.99x	13.3 to 25.1	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	10.6	11.3	0.94x	7.1 to 15.5	2020-2024
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	22.1	23.8	0.93x	16.3 to 29.4	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	12.9	14.5	0.89x	8.5 to 18.9	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	6.7	8.7	0.77x	3.8 to 11.1	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 Lee County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,353.9	9,842.6	-25%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.4	75.3	+3%	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	78.3	96.9	-19%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	13.8	28.6	-52%	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.

Formaldehyde14.98 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Acetaldehyde1.35 per million
Benzene0.93 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Industrial wastewater discharge74
Air permit holder (minor source)71
NPDES wastewater discharge permit71
Rail grade crossing53
Gas station (mapped facility)16
Public airport13
Brownfield property9
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)9
Major air pollution source7
TRI reporting facility7
Wind power plant6
Large hazardous waste generator5
Large greenhouse gas emitter4
Small hazardous waste generator3
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)3
Combined sewer overflow outfall2
Heliport2
Gas power plant2
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)1
Correctional facility (prison or jail)1
Hazardous waste transporter1
Hydroelectric 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.

Chs Rochelle, Rochelle
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Acetaldehyde, Ammonia, n-Hexane, Toluene and 2 more. Reports carcinogens. 121,191 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61068LLNSR19STE (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Upm Raflatac Inc Dixon Il, Dixon
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024922235 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.8
Azz Galvanizing Services-Dixon, Dixon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Lead. Reports carcinogens. 15,197 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61021GLVNZ310EP (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.7
Donaldson Co Inc, Dixon
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436467 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.7
Upm Raflatac Inc., Dixon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 141,850 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6102WPMRFL11EAS (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7
Allied-Locke Industries Inc, Amboy
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Chromium, Manganese, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 1,424 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61021LLDLC1088C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Invenergy Nelson Llc, Rock Falls
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007399644 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.7
Invenergy Nelson Llc, Rock Falls
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia. 70,062 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6107WNVNRG1311N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.7
Azz Galvanizing Dixon, Dixon
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018118516 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.6
Donaldson Co Dixon Illinois, Dixon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Manganese And Manganese Compounds, Manganese compounds, Diisocyanates. 21,387 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61021DNLDS815PR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Spx Cooling Tech Llc (Formerly Sgs Refrigeration Inc.), Dixon
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Copper, Manganese, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 228 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6102WSGSRF827WP (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.3
Raynor Garage Doors, Dixon
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436519 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Donaldson Co Inc, Dixon
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436467 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Donaldson Co Inc, Dixon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436467 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Sgs Refrigeration, Inc., Dixon
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070813362 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Upm Raflatac Inc Dixon Il, Dixon
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110024922235 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Raynor Garage Doors, Dixon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436519 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Renner Quarries Ltd, Amboy
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001286171 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Renner Quarries Ltd, Dixon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110001286206 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Franklin Grove Stp, Village Of, Franklin Grove
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009735466 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Alliance Materials Inc - Emerson Quarry, Dixon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110054115578 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Conmat Inc - Palmyra Quarry, Dixon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110056988924 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Macklin Inc, Steward
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110063924767 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
3'S Company Bar Private Sewage Disposal System, West Brooklyn
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110071346667 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Dixon Stp, City Of, Dixon
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000736534 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.3

Correctional facilities

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

Dixon Correctional Center, Dixon
EPA FRS registry ID
110001287900
Water system
IL1035500
Health-based violations
11 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
12
Contaminants cited
Combined Radium (-226 and -228)
Wastewater permit
Yes
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Lee 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 Lee 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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