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Shelby County, Illinois: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Shelby County is 162.6 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 256 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Rail grade crossing (104), Air permit holder (minor source) (47), Industrial wastewater discharge (39). 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: 39.4339, -88.7477.

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 Shelby County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	31.2	17.9	1.74xSignificant	22.6 to 42.2	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	37.6	23.8	1.58xSignificant	27.6 to 50.2	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	New cases	64.7	51.8	1.25xSignificant	53.1 to 78.5	2019-2023
Pancreas	Deaths	14.1	11.3	1.25x	8.6 to 22.1	2020-2024
Bladder	New cases	22.5	18.7	1.2x	16.2 to 31.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	35.9	30.2	1.19x	27.7 to 46.3	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	531.9	453.4	1.17xSignificant	494.7 to 571.3	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	162.6	143.2	1.14xSignificant	144 to 183.4	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	15.3	13.9	1.1x	9.4 to 23.8	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	17.9	18.5	0.97x	12 to 26.1	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	13.4	14.5	0.92x	8 to 21.5	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 Shelby County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	7,898.3	9,842.6	-20%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	77.1	75.3	+2%	years
Child mortality	56.5	59.8	-5%	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	97	96.9	+0%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	20.7	28.6	-28%	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.

Formaldehyde17.47 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.95 per million
Acetaldehyde1.63 per million
Benzene0.73 per million

EPA Air Quality Index

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

Regulated facilities, sites and hazards by type

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

Rail grade crossing104
Air permit holder (minor source)47
Industrial wastewater discharge39
NPDES wastewater discharge permit36
Gas station (mapped facility)8
Public airport5
Combined sewer overflow outfall4
Small hazardous waste generator4
Major air pollution source3
Gas power plant2
Large greenhouse gas emitter1
Heliport1
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)1
Wastewater plant (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.

P&H Manufacturing, Shelbyville
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Manganese, Nickel, Chromium. Reports carcinogens. 165 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 62565PHMFG604SL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Cowden Stp, Cowden
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009735386 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Iola Quarry Inc-Brush Creek, Near Stewardson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010023090 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Josh Denson Private Sewage Disposal System, Neoga
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110070867131 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Iola Quarry Inc-Brush Creek, Near Stewardson
Air permit holder (minor source).
EPA FRS registry ID 110010023090 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4
Cowden Stp, Cowden
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit IL0028231:001 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Cowden Stp, Cowden
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit IL0028231:A01 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Cowden Stp, Cowden
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit IL0028231:B01 (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Cowden Stp, Cowden
Combined sewer overflow outfall. Significant/Category I Noncompliance.
NPDES permit IL0028231:INF (U.S. EPA NPDES)
Severity 4
Strasburg Stp, Village Of, Strasburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008997997 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Hoosier Energy Holland Plant, Beecher City
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018128417 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.8
Holland Energy Facility, Beecher City
Gas power plant.
Record ID 55334 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3.6
Graphic Packaging International Llc, Shelbyville
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000791180 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Shelbyville Stw, City Of, Shelbyville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006770315 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Nrg Shelby County Generating Station, Neoga
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110007362086 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Herrick Stp, Village Of, Herrick
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010024785 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.5
Energy Shelby County, Neoga
Gas power plant.
Record ID 55237 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
Severity 3.3
Findlay Stp, Village Of, Findlay
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009735242 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Hoosier Energy Holland Plant, Beecher City
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018128417 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3.3
Graphic Packaging International Llc, Shelbyville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000791180 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Stewardson - Strasburg High School Stp, Strasburg
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110009736232 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 3
Hoosier Energy Holland Plant, Beecher City
Large greenhouse gas emitter.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018128417 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.8
Stewardson Stp, Village Of, Stewardson
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010024909 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Shelbyville Bike Path Phase 10, Shelbyville
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110072074807 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 2.3
Shelby County, Shelbyville
Public airport. O.
Record ID 2H0 (FAA / U.S. DOT)
Severity 2

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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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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