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Stephenson County, Illinois: environmental and disease records

Cancer mortality in Stephenson County is 160.3 deaths per 100,000 people per year against a U.S. rate of 143.2, a statistically significant excess. Federal databases place 495 regulated facilities, sites and hazards inside the county, led by Brownfield property (112), Air permit holder (minor source) (91), NPDES wastewater discharge permit (86). 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: 42.3458, -89.6605.

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 Stephenson County compared with the United States
Cancer	Measure	County rate	U.S. rate	Times U.S.	95% interval	Years
Esophagus	New cases	6.8	4.6	1.48x	4.3 to 10.6	2019-2023
Esophagus	Deaths	4.6	3.7	1.24x	2.7 to 7.7	2020-2024
Kidney & renal pelvis	Deaths	4	3.4	1.18x	2.2 to 6.9	2020-2024
Thyroid	New cases	14.6	13	1.12x	9.9 to 20.8	2019-2023
All cancer	Deaths	160.3	143.2	1.12xSignificant	146.9 to 174.8	2020-2024
Pancreas	New cases	14.9	13.9	1.07x	11 to 20.1	2019-2023
Lung & bronchus	Deaths	32.1	30.2	1.06x	26.5 to 38.7	2020-2024
Stomach	New cases	7	6.6	1.06x	3.9 to 11.7	2019-2023
Bladder	New cases	19.7	18.7	1.05x	15.2 to 25.2	2019-2023
Melanoma of the skin	New cases	24.9	23.8	1.05x	19.2 to 31.8	2019-2023
Bladder	Deaths	4.2	4.1	1.02x	2.4 to 7.2	2020-2024
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	New cases	18.3	18.5	0.99x	13.6 to 24.1	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	Deaths	6.5	6.6	0.98x	4.2 to 9.9	2020-2024
All cancer	New cases	445.6	453.4	0.98x	421.7 to 470.6	2019-2023
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma	Deaths	4.7	4.8	0.98x	2.8 to 7.9	2020-2024
Pancreas	Deaths	10.9	11.3	0.96x	7.7 to 15.2	2020-2024
Brain & nervous system	Deaths	4.1	4.4	0.93x	2.3 to 7	2020-2024
Lung & bronchus	New cases	48.2	51.8	0.93x	41.2 to 56.3	2019-2023
Kidney & renal pelvis	New cases	16.5	17.9	0.92x	12.4 to 21.8	2019-2023
Leukemia	New cases	13	14.5	0.9x	9.2 to 18	2019-2023
Liver & bile duct	New cases	7.2	8.7	0.83x	4.8 to 10.8	2019-2023
Leukemia	Deaths	4.3	5.7	0.75x	2.5 to 7.2	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 Stephenson County
Measure	County	U.S. median	Difference	Unit
Premature death	9,373.2	9,842.6	-5%	years of life lost before age 75 per 100,000
Life expectancy	76.2	75.3	+1%	years
Child mortality	49	59.8	-18%	deaths under age 18 per 100,000
Infant mortality	7	6.2	+13%	deaths under age 1 per 1,000 live births
Injury deaths	115.1	96.9	+19%	deaths per 100,000
Drug overdose deaths	13.7	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.

Formaldehyde14.5 per million
Carbon Tetrachloride2.96 per million
Acetaldehyde1.36 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

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

Brownfield property112
Air permit holder (minor source)91
NPDES wastewater discharge permit86
Industrial wastewater discharge79
Rail grade crossing43
Gas station (mapped facility)22
TRI reporting facility11
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI)11
Auto repair or body shop (mapped facility)8
Small hazardous waste generator6
Public airport5
Large hazardous waste generator4
Solar power plant4
Major air pollution source2
Dry cleaner (mapped facility)2
Large greenhouse gas emitter2
Wastewater plant (mapped facility)2
Commercial airport1
Heliport1
Gas power plant1
Wind power plant1
Scrapyard (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.

Modern Plating Corp, Freeport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436546 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 8.4
Adkins Energy Llc, Lena
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: n-Hexane, Acetaldehyde, Methanol, Acrolein and 4 more. Reports carcinogens. 35,677 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61048DKNSN4350W (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 8
Modern Plating Corp, Freeport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitric acid, Zinc compounds, Nickel compounds, Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region) and 1 more. Reports carcinogens. 6,935 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61032MDRNP701SH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.4
Berner Cheese Corp, Dakota
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Nitric acid. 240,353 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61018BRNRC2034C (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 7.1
Kolb Lena Cheese Inc., Lena
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nitric acid, Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution), Peracetic acid, Ammonia. 80,555 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61048KLBLN3990N (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.8
Titan Tire Manufacturing Plant, Freeport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436528 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.4
Berner Cheese Corp, Dakota
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010742713 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.2
Danfoss Power Solutions (Us) Co, Freeport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Ammonia, Copper, Manganese. 12,854 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61032SNDST580NH (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 6.2
Adkins Energy, Llc, Lena
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110008978552 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6.1
Modern Plating Corp, Freeport
Large hazardous waste generator.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436546 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Modern Plating Corp, Freeport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436546 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 6
Tri Star Metals Llc, Freeport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Copper, Selenium, Lead And Lead Compounds and 3 more. Reports carcinogens. 50 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 6103WTRSTR611WL (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.8
Danfoss Power Solutions (Us) Co, Freeport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040867513 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.5
Kolb-Lena Cheese Co, Lena
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436608 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5.4
Titan Tire Corp Of Freeport, Freeport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Zinc compounds, Lead compounds. 608 lbs released over 5 years.
TRI facility ID 61032KLLYS3769R (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 5.1
Titan Tire Manufacturing Plant, Freeport
Major air pollution source.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436528 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 5
Forge Group Star Llc, Freeport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110040867540 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Dakota Stp, Village Of, Dakota
NPDES wastewater discharge permit. Penalties $3,075.
EPA FRS registry ID 110006769933 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.8
Titan Tire Manufacturing Plant, Freeport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436528 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Freeport Stp, City Of, Freeport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000759581 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Dwyer Quarry, Freeport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110010023116 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Freeport Wwtp, Freeport
NPDES wastewater discharge permit.
EPA FRS registry ID 110018318747 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5
Honeywell International Inc-Plant 1, Freeport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Nickel, Lead, Chromium, Copper. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 61032MCRSW323ES (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Honeywell International Inc-Plant 4, Freeport
Toxic chemical release facility (TRI). Chemicals: Lead, Zinc compounds, Copper. Reports carcinogens.
TRI facility ID 61032MCRSWWALNU (U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory)
Severity 4.5
Anchor-Harvey Components Llc, Freeport
TRI reporting facility.
EPA FRS registry ID 110000436555 (U.S. EPA ECHO) Agency record
Severity 4.5

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 Stephenson 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 Stephenson 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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