Cook, IL
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2023 Toxics Release Inventory, Safe Drinking Water Information System, and Superfund National Priorities List, this Environmental Justice Screening Report covers Cook, IL (population 5,185,812).
This report synthesizes four indicator layers into a single burden score for Cook, IL: Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) volume, Safe Drinking Water Act health violations, Superfund National Priorities List presence, and carcinogen-releasing facility density. The county's overall score is 36/100 (grade B), ranking #479 of 500 counties analyzed in the current dataset.
Underlying values: 350 TRI-reporting facilities releasing 67.4M lbs of disclosed toxics; 176 health-based SDWIS violations across the county's water systems; 4 Superfund NPL sites; and 195 facilities reporting carcinogenic chemicals.
Percentile scores compare this county against a national sample of up to 500 counties ranked by the same four indicators. A high burden grade does not by itself establish current health harm, it documents the cumulative regulatory and disclosure footprint drawn from EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund data. Use the indicator breakdown below to see which component drives the score, and drill into the top chemicals and facilities for the underlying Form R filings. This percentile-based score is a different measure than the county profile's fixed-threshold risk score, expect the two numbers to differ.
Top Chemicals Released
| Chemical | Total Released | Carcinogen | PBT | Facilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | 24.0M lbs | No | No | 50 |
| Zinc compounds | 10.0M lbs | No | No | 48 |
| Manganese And Manganese Compounds | 4.4M lbs | No | No | 5 |
| Certain glycol ethers | 3.5M lbs | No | No | 62 |
| Manganese | 3.3M lbs | No | No | 45 |
| Ammonia | 2.1M lbs | No | No | 32 |
| Aluminum (fume or dust) | 1.7M lbs | No | No | 8 |
| Chromium and Chromium Compounds(except for chromite ore mined in the Transvaal Region) | 1.3M lbs | No | No | 10 |
| Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution) | 1.3M lbs | No | No | 58 |
| Chromium | 1.1M lbs | No | No | 42 |
Which facilities pollute this county the most?
What is the environmental burden score for Cook, IL?
Cook has an environmental burden score of 36/100 (grade: B), ranking #479 out of 500 counties analyzed. This score is based on toxic releases, water quality, Superfund contamination, and carcinogen exposure.
How many TRI facilities are in Cook?
Cook has 350 TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) facilities reporting to the EPA, with total releases of 67.4M lbs.
Data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This screening tool is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the federal government.
What to do with Cook's screening report
Use this county's score as a starting point, then drill into the specific concern that matters to you.
- Cook has 350 TRI facilities reporting to the EPA -- see which one releases the most. Wieland Metals Inc
- Ranked #479 of 500 counties analyzed -- see how Illinois as a whole compares nationally. Illinois state profile
- See which counties nationwide carry the highest combined environmental burden. National rankings
This score synthesizes four EPA indicator layers into a single 0-100 index; it is not a health-risk diagnosis or a substitute for local environmental testing.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this Environmental Justice Screening Score is computed from the 2023 Toxics Release Inventory, the Safe Drinking Water Information System, and the Superfund National Priorities List, spanning PlainEnviro's database of more than 25,000 EPA-tracked facilities nationwide; see our methodology for the full scoring formula and source citations.