Total TRI releases
Total TRI releases at Kankakee County have risen 87% since 2010 (through 2024).
County · TRI 2024
Kankakee County, Illinois Pollution
10 top TRI facilities tracked here. Lifetime cancer risk all pollutants (100 in a million (EPA elevated threshold)) held roughly steady year over year (—). Lifetime cancer risk all pollutants (100 in a million (EPA elevated threshold)) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.
FIPS 17091 · population 107,421
Multi-year history not yet ingested.
Anomaly engine
Notable Signals
Top facilities mapped
Where Chemicals Are Released In Kankakee County
Each red dot is one of the top TRI facilities. Size reflects 2024 total releases. County boundary outlined in blue.
Pollutant pathways
Kankakee County Pollutant Multi-Year Trends
Lifetime cancer risk all pollutants (100 in a million (EPA elevated threshold))Health riskEPA-modeled added cancer cases per million residents from a lifetime of breathing local air toxics. EPA flags 100-in-a-million as elevated.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
Formaldehyde ambient mean (0.077 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic emitted by refineries, wood products, and combustion. EPA classifies it as a known human carcinogen — long-term inhalation raises cancer risk.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
Benzene ambient mean (0.13 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic from gasoline, refineries, and tobacco smoke. A known human carcinogen — chronic exposure is linked to leukemia and other blood cancers.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as released into the air — fugitive leaks plus smokestack emissions. Higher pounds means more inhaled exposure for nearby residents.
TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack) concentrations are roughly unchanged from 2010.
TRI water releases (5.3)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as discharged to surface waters (rivers, lakes, the ocean). Affects fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.
TRI water releases (5.3) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.
TRI land + off-site releasesHealth riskToxic chemicals released to land on-site or transferred off-site for disposal — landfills, deep-well injection, and similar. Risks groundwater contamination over time.
TRI land + off-site releases concentrations have more than doubled since 2010.
Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023)Health riskGreenhouse gases reported by large industrial emitters under EPA's GHGRP, in metric tons of CO₂ equivalent. Drives climate warming and the heat-related health effects that follow.
Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023) concentrations are roughly unchanged from 2010.
Top facilities · 2024
Where The Chemical Releases Are Concentrated
| Facility | City | Top chemical | Total releases | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nucor Steel Kankakee INCNucor CORP | Bourbonnais | Manganese And Manganese CompoundsHealth riskExcess inhalation can cause manganism, a Parkinson-like neurological disorder. (ATSDR) | 491k lb | +1% |
| Crown Beverage PackagingCrown Holdings INC | Bradley | Certain glycol ethersHealth riskReproductive toxicants; some cause testicular damage and developmental harm. (EPA) | 383k lb | -1% |
| Sherwin-Williams COThe Sherwin-Williams Co | Kankakee | Chromium compounds (except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region)Health riskHexavalent chromium (Cr-VI) is an IARC Group 1 carcinogen via inhalation, causing lung cancer; trivalent chromium is far less toxic. (IARC, EPA) | 57k lb | -9% |
| Csl BehringCsl Behring LLC | Bradley | AmmoniaHealth riskSevere respiratory and eye irritant; high concentrations cause chemical burns to lung tissue. (EPA) | 36k lb | +5% |
| Kensing LLCKensing Holdings LLC | Kankakee | 1,2-DichloroethaneHealth riskIARC Group 2B possible carcinogen; liver and kidney toxic. EPA MCL 5 µg/L. (IARC, EPA) | 9k lb | -69% |
| Ahf ProductsAhf Products LLC | Kankakee | Zinc compoundsHealth riskGenerally low acute toxicity. Chronic high-dose exposure disrupts copper absorption and immune function. (ATSDR) | 8k lb | +44% |
| Rohm & Haas Chemicals LLCDow INC | Kankakee | Vinyl acetateHealth riskIARC Group 2B possible carcinogen; eye and respiratory irritant. (IARC) | 4k lb | -7% |
| ArdexArdex | Bourbonnais | n-HexaneHealth riskPeripheral neurotoxin. Chronic exposure causes numbness and paralysis in the extremities. (ATSDR) | 780 lb | — |
| Iko Midwest INCGoldis Enterprises INC | Kankakee | NaphthaleneHealth riskIARC Group 2B possible carcinogen; causes hemolytic anemia, especially in infants. (IARC) | 179 lb | +1368% |
| Ozinga Ready Mix Concrete INC. - MantenoOzinga Bros INC | Manteno | LeadHealth riskNeurotoxin. Even low childhood exposure impairs cognitive development; chronic adult exposure damages kidneys and the cardiovascular system. (EPA, ATSDR) | 0 lb | — |
Superfund / NPL sites
Federal Cleanup Sites In Kankakee County
Sites on EPA's Superfund National Priorities List, plus deleted sites whose cleanup objectives EPA has finalized. Federal-facility sites (defense, DOE, etc.) are flagged separately. Each link routes to a per-site page.
| Site | City | Status | Federal facility | Primary contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Brothers Pail Recycling (Pembroke) | Pembroke Township | NPL FINAL | No | EthylbenzeneHealth riskIARC Group 2B possible carcinogen; eye and respiratory irritant. (IARC) |
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity
Who Lives In Kankakee County
All block groups in Kankakee County County, IL: 107,421 residents. County disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits below the reference (85). Why we surface this →
14.0%
Low-income
30.1%
People of color
6.1%
Under age 5
17.2%
Over age 64
- PM2.5 (fine particulate)Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.68above the national median
- OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.70above the national median
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)Health riskA tailpipe and combustion gas. Concentrates near busy roads and industrial sites; raises risk of airway inflammation, asthma, and lower respiratory infections in children.68above the national median
- Diesel particulateHealth riskSoot from diesel engines (trucks, trains, ports, construction). EPA classifies it as a likely human carcinogen and a major driver of childhood asthma near freight corridors.49near the national median
- Toxic releases (RSEI)Health riskEPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators score — weights TRI chemical releases by toxicity, where they go, and how many people are nearby. Higher means greater modeled cancer and chronic-health risk.67above the national median
- Traffic proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to high-volume roads. Living close to heavy traffic raises exposure to PM2.5, NO₂, and diesel exhaust — and the cardiovascular and asthma risks that follow.35below the national median
- Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)Health riskShare of housing built before 1960, when lead-based paint was common. Dust from deteriorating paint is the leading cause of childhood lead poisoning, which permanently impairs cognitive development.67above the national median
- Superfund site proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to NPL Superfund sites — the most contaminated waste sites in the country. Nearby groundwater, soil, and air can carry industrial solvents, metals, and other long-lived contaminants.56near the national median
- RMP-facility proximityHealth riskDistance to facilities holding chemicals at quantities large enough to require an EPA Risk Management Plan (refineries, fertilizer plants, etc.). These pose acute exposure risk during accidental releases.78above the national median
- Hazardous-waste site proximityHealth riskDistance to RCRA hazardous-waste handlers (treatment, storage, disposal facilities). Indicates potential exposure to industrial chemicals in air, soil, and groundwater.48near the national median
- Underground storage tanksHealth riskDensity of underground tanks (gasoline, heating oil, industrial fluids). Leaking tanks are a leading source of benzene and other volatile organic compounds in groundwater drinking-water supplies.74above the national median
- NPDES wastewater proximityHealth riskDistance to permitted industrial wastewater dischargers. Closer proximity raises exposure to pollutants released into surface waters used for fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.68above the national median
- Drinking-water non-complianceHealth riskEPA score for public water systems with health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violations. Higher means more residents on systems that recently exceeded safe limits for contaminants like lead, arsenic, or nitrate.77above the national median
| Indicator | Disparity score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (fine particulate) | 85 | below the reference |
| Ozone | 85 | below the reference |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 84 | below the reference |
| Diesel particulate | 64 | below the reference |
| Toxic releases (RSEI) | 80 | below the reference |
| Traffic proximity | 45 | well below the reference |
| Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing) | 74 | below the reference |
| Superfund site proximity | 6 | well below the reference |
| RMP-facility proximity | 93 | near the reference |
| Hazardous-waste site proximity | 57 | below the reference |
| Underground storage tanks | 73 | below the reference |
| NPDES wastewater proximity | 82 | below the reference |
| Drinking-water non-compliance | 5 | well below the reference |
Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).
Health context
Co-Located Health Indicators
Modeled adult-prevalence estimates published by CDC PLACES, paired with this county's pollution and demographic context. Comparisons are ecological, not causal — pollution and disease prevalence covary at the area level, but the data does not attribute any individual's diagnosis to local exposure. How this section works →
Adult asthma (current)
10.7%
CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023
COPD prevalence
7.9%
CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023
Coronary heart disease
7.0%
CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023
Diabetes (diagnosed)
13.0%
CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023
Frequent mental distress
17.8%
CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023
PLACES uses BRFSS-modeled small-area estimates, not individual records. Crude prevalence shown above is the local rate as published; comparators are age-adjusted vs the Illinois mean and the US mean — both population-weighted across counties — so geographies with different age structures stay apples-to-apples. Sources: CDC PLACES · 2025 release · BRFSS 2022-2023.
Browse
All 9 Kankakee County Cities With TRI Data
Pollution trends and TRI 2024 pages for every tracked city in this county. Alphabetical.
Sources.
- EPA Toxics Release Inventory · retrieved 2026-05-07.
All sources are federal public-domain datasets under 17 USC §105. We aggregate but do not relabel; the underlying observations remain attributable to EPA.