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Rock Island County, Illinois: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Rock Island County is 156.3 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 1.8 times the U.S. rate and Esophagus deaths at 1.4 times the U.S. rate. Federal databases place 952 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by NPDES wastewater discharge permit (236), Air permit holder (minor source) (175), Rail grade crossing (171). 3 correctional facilities operate 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: 41.5551, -90.3034.

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 Rock Island County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Melanoma of the skin	Deaths	3.6	2	1.8xSignificant	2.5 to 5	2020-2024
Esophagus	New cases	7.5	4.6	1.63xSignificant	5.8 to 9.5	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	5.3	3.7	1.43xSignificant	4 to 6.9	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4.3	3.4	1.26x	3.1 to 5.8	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	5.5	4.4	1.25x	4.1 to 7.3	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	35.1	30.2	1.16xSignificant	31.6 to 39	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	59	51.8	1.14xSignificant	54.3 to 63.9	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	156.3	143.2	1.09xSignificant	148.7 to 164.3	2020-2024
Bladder	Deaths	4.4	4.1	1.07x	3.3 to 5.9	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	New cases	6.5	6.2	1.05x	4.9 to 8.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	5	4.8	1.04x	3.7 to 6.6	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.5	18.5	1x	15.8 to 21.5	2019-2023
All cancer	New cases	446.5	453.4	0.98x	432.9 to 460.4	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	23.4	23.8	0.98x	20.3 to 26.9	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	11.1	11.3	0.98x	9.2 to 13.3	2020-2024
Leukemia	New cases	14	14.5	0.97x	11.7 to 16.6	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	5.5	5.7	0.96x	4.1 to 7.3	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	13.4	13.9	0.96x	11.2 to 16	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	18	18.7	0.96x	15.5 to 20.9	2019-2023
Thyroid	New cases	12.3	13	0.95x	9.8 to 15.2	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.2	6.6	0.94x	4.8 to 8	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	16.1	17.9	0.9x	13.6 to 19	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7.8	8.7	0.9x	6.2 to 9.7	2019-2023
Stomach	New cases	5.9	6.6	0.89x	4.5 to 7.6	2019-2023
Stomach	Deaths	2.3	2.7	0.85x	1.4 to 3.5	2020-2024
Childhood cancer (under 15)	New cases	13.1	16.4	0.8x	7.6 to 20.9	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 Rock Island County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	8,428.8	9,842.6	-14%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.4	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	47.5	59.8	-21%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	6.3	6.2	+1%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	89.1	96.9	-8%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	15	28.6	-47%	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.

Formaldehyde17.01 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.97 per million
Acetaldehyde1.56 per million
Benzene1.11 per million

EPA Air Quality Index 2025

Monitored on 365 days: 244 good, 2 unhealthy for sensitive groups or worse. Median AQI 41, peak 167.

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

NPDES wastewater discharge permit236
Air permit holder (minor source)175
Rail grade crossing171
Industrial wastewater discharge152
Gas station (mapped facility)57
Brownfield property28
Small hazardous waste generator25
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)17
Large hazardous waste generator16
TRI reporting facility16
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)14
Major air pollution source11
Large greenhouse gas emitter6
Heliport4
Scrapyard (mapped facility)4
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)4
Correctional facility (prison or jail)3
Hazardous waste transporter3
Airfield2
Landfill (mapped facility)2
Gas power plant2
EPA air quality monitor1
Public airport1
Commercial airport1
Nuclear 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.

3m Cordova, Cordova
TRI reporting facility. Penalties $251,800.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013886875 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 10
3m Chemical Operations' Cordova Facility, Cordova
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Toluene, Methanol, Certain glycol ethers, Methyl acrylate and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. Reports PFAS. 213,137 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61242MXXXX22614 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 10
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc - Joslin Il, Hillsdale
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018218720 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.6
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc - Joslin Il, Hillsdale
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Ammonia, Hydrogen sulfide, Sulfuric acid (acid aerosols including mists, vapors, gas, fog, and other airborne forms of any particle size) and 4 more. 11,135,955 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61254BPNCXHIGHW (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8.4
Sherwin-Williams Co, Moline
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Xylene (mixed isomers), Toluene, Ethylbenzene, n-Butyl alcohol and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 40,930 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61265MLNPN54002 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
John Deere Harvester Works East Moline, East Moline
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Ethylene glycol, Nickel, Lead and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 12,655 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61244JHNDR11001 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.6
3m Cordova, Cordova
Major air pollution source. Penalties $251,800.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013886875 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7.5
3m Cordova, Cordova
Large hazardous waste generator. Penalties $251,800.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013886875 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
3m Cordova, Cordova
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $251,800.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013886875 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 7
Allied Asphalt (Mc-29), Milan
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Hydrogen sulfide, Polycyclic aromatic compounds. Reports carcinogens. 1,273 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6126WLLDSP61USR (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.9
Sandstrom Products Co, Port Byron
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000437581 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
3m Cordova, Cordova
Large greenhouse gas emitter. Penalties $251,800.
EPA FRS registry ID 110013886875 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.5
East Moline Wastewater, East Moline
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018325515 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Steel Warehouse Of Quad Cities (Spc), Rock Island
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel. Reports carcinogens. 43 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6120WSTLWR43581 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Sherwin-Williams Mfg Co, Moline
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000437554 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.8
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL, Rock Island Arsenal (U.S. Army)
EPA air quality monitor.
Record ID 171613002 (U.S. EPA AirData)
Severity 5.7
John Deere Harvester Works, East Moline
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040904091 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.6
Rock Island Lubricants (Rilco), Rock Island
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Methanol, Ethylene glycol, Zinc compounds. 1,832 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61201RCKSL1321S (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.5
Sandstrom Products Co, Port Byron
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000437581 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Rock Island - South West Stp, Rock Island
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000736614 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Rock Island Wastewater Treatment Plant, Rock Island
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018321920 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Williams White & Co, Moline
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Lead, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 12 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61265WLLMS6003R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.4
Rilco, Rock Island
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ethylene glycol. 879 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6120WRLCXX29295 (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.3
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc - Joslin Il, Hillsdale
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018218720 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3
Esg Watts Inc, Taylor Ridge
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110041006023 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.3

Correctional facilities

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

Idoc East Moline Correctional Ctr, East Moline
EPA FRS registry ID
110001348417
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report
East Moline Correctional Center, East Moline
EPA FRS registry ID
110001810256
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report
East Moline Correctional Center-East Moline, East Moline
EPA FRS registry ID
110047070058
Water system
IL1617120
Health-based violations
0 all time, 0 in 5 years
All violations
0
Wastewater permit
None on record
EPA detailed facility report

Discovery / public records

Records to request for Rock Island 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 Rock Island 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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