http://scorecard.goodguide.

com/
Today, you will explore the Scorecard Pollution Information site, which outlines
pollution information for all 50 United States. Unfortunately, this data has not been
updated since 2003, BUT updates are IN PROGRESS AS WE SPEAK!!
Your goal is to explore the air quality of our local air and determine sources and
types of pollutants from those sources. This will be jaw-dropping.so GET READY!
Lets begin:
Dont type in our zipcode YET, but go down to More Facts on Pollution questions
select the following:
Under Whos Polluting? Select Who Are the Top Polluters in the U.S.?
1. Without changing the settings at the top of this next page who IS the top
polluting facility?
Name of Facility:
Location:
pounds of environmental releases:
2. Scroll down through the list. Are there any local polluting companies that made
the Top 100 facilities for Environmental Releases in the U.S.? If so, list them by
rank, name and where they are located. By clicking on the name of the company,
find out WHAT they are releasing into the environment by scrolling down on the next
page to 2002 TRI Pollution Releases Ranked by Potential Human Health Risks. List
those chemicals here and click on each one to tell associated human health
hazards.
Rank:
Name of Company:
Human Health Hazards:

Whats being released?

Now go back to the Ranking and find the local company(ies) and click on
that number of pounds of environmental releases
Chemical
Name

Pounds
released

Health Hazards

.
3. Human Health Hazards are scored as two separate categories: RECOGNIZED or
SUSPECTED health threats. What is the difference?

4. Now click BACK to the page that has the rank of the most polluting facilities in the
U.S. At the top of that page, change the Ranked by box to Air releases then hit
GO.
Name of Company:
Location:
Pounds of air releases

Now click on that number.

5. In your own words define Stack Air releases vs. Fugitive Air releases.

6. List the top three chemicals by name, amount released (lbs) and human health
effects of each.
Chemical
Name

Pounds
released

Health Hazards

7. Go back to that ranking. Click on the NAME of that company. Scroll down to the
Major Chemical Releases or Waste Generation at this Facility graph. Fill in the blank
graph below for this company.
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

Total environmental releases:

Cancer Risk Score:

Noncancer risk score:

Air releases of recognized carcinogens:

Air releases of recognized developmental toxicants:

Air releases of recognized reproductive toxicants:

80%

90%

100%

8. Go back to the Ranking AGAIN. Look at the TOP TEN companies in this list. What
is the DOMINANT industry or sector that is responsible for air releases?

9. At the top of the page, keep Air Releases, change Entire United States to
Illinois. Hit GO.
Scroll through this list of 100 companies. Choose TWO to highlight and collect
information on:
A. Company Name:

Amount of Release:

List the top three chemicals by name, amount released (lbs) and human
health effects of each.

Fill out the Scorecard ranking:

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Total environmental releases:

Cancer Risk Score:

Noncancer risk score:

Air releases of recognized carcinogens:

Air releases of recognized developmental toxicants:

Air releases of recognized reproductive toxicants:

B. Name of Company:

Amount of Release:

List the top three chemicals by name, amount released (lbs) and human health
effects of each.

Fill out Scorecared Ranking:

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Total environmental releases:

Cancer Risk Score:

Noncancer risk score:

Air releases of recognized carcinogens:

Air releases of recognized developmental toxicants:

Air releases of recognized reproductive toxicants:

Go back to the homepage http://scorecard.goodguide.com/

10. Change first question to Who releases the most cancer-causing air pollutants?
Who Ranks NUMBER 1 in the entire U.S.???
Name of facility
Health Hazard(s)

Location

Pounds

Name of chemicals

Click back to Ranking and change to Illinois. Click on GO.

11. Explore three companies of your choice that release carcinogens into the air
and fill out the following information:
Rank:

Name of facility: Location:

Pounds

Name of chemicals Health Hazard(s)

Chemical Use
Profile: Click on
each hyperlink
under this section

Go back to home page: http://scorecard.goodguide.com/

Change the second question to which air pollutants pose the greatest cancer risk?
12. What are the top three Hazardous Air Pollutants? Click on the Chemical Use
Profile of each and then the hyperlinked statements to describe the industries and
specific uses. For pesticides list the top brand.
Chemical Name:
applicable)

Industry:

Products:

Pesticide brands: (if

#1

#2

#3

Explore two more chemicals from the list.

Rank Chemical Name
applicable)

Industry

Products

Pesticide brands: (if

13. Click the BACK arrow to go back to the list of HAPs. Change State entry from
Entire United States to Illinois. Click GO. What do you notice? Click on ANY state
name. Click GO. What happens??

Go back to the homepage: http://scorecard.goodguide.com/index.tcl

Put our zipcode in. Click GET REPORT.
14. In 2002, our county ranked among the dirtiest/worst ____% of all counties in the
U.S. in terms of noncancer risk score.
15. Click on See how your county stacks up: TAZEWELL COUNTY SCORECARD
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Total environmental releases:

Cancer Risk Score:

Noncancer risk score:

Air releases of recognized carcinogens:

Air releases of recognized developmental toxicants:

Air releases of recognized reproductive toxicants:

16. Click on Rank Counties in Illinois. Which county is the top? __________________
17. Click on the number of pounds for that county. Remember, this is TOTAL
Environmental Releases. How do you feel about what you see there?

17. What is the rank for Tazewell? _____________

Go back to the top and change Ranked by: Total Environmental releases to Air
Releases: Click Go.
18. Where does Peoria rank? How many pounds of releases into the air?

19. Click on the number of pounds. What is the main chemical? How much?
20. Click on See a list of facilities at the top of this list. List at least 5 companies
that you recognize.

Go back to the ranked list of counties by air releases. Find Tazewell and click on the
number of pounds.
21. Find the list of facilities. Click through the lists of chemicals by clicking on
pounds from each facility that is LOCATED IN PEKIN. Thoughts? Feelings?
Comments???

22. REMEMBER that these are ONLY TOXICANTS RELEASED INTO THE AIR. There are
limitations to the TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) Data. Click on this link. Read and, in
the space below summarize these limitations.

In left column of this page under INVESTIGATE POLLUTION TOPICS. Find Air and
Click on Smog and Particulates. Enter our State. View Report.
23. Air Quality Rankings:
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Carbon Monoxide Emissions:

Nitrogen Oxide Emissions:

PM-2.5:

PM 10:

Sulfur Dioxide Emissions:

VOC emissions:

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Person-days in exceedence of national air quality standard for ozone (8-hour)

24. Scroll down to Health Risks:

Complete the table below by clicking on the pollutants:
Pollutant

Person-days in
exceedance of
NAAQS

Health Risks

Potential
Source(s)

NAAQS:

Now we are getting PERSONAL! Lets look even MORE Local. Go back up under the
AIR QUALITY RANKINGS that you completed in number 23. Under those ranking, go
to Rank counties in Illinois by criteria air pollutant health risks, exposures
or emissions. CLICK ON HEALTH RISKS.
25. Where does Tazewell county rank out of all of the counties in Illinois?
Click on the County Name.
26. Complete the Air Quality Rankings for Tazewell County:
0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Carbon Monoxide Emissions:

Nitrogen Oxide Emissions:

PM-2.5:

PM 10:

Sulfur Dioxide Emissions:

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

VOC emissions:

Person-days in exceedence of national air quality standard for ozone (8-hour)

27. Under the Air Quality Rankings find the statement that says: Rank facilities in
Tazewell County by criteria air pollutant emissions. Click on emissions and using
your ranking above, choose the two worse pollutants to change the RANKED BY
criteria and find out which companies are responsible.
Pollutant 1: ____________________________
Company Names and tons emitted:

Pollutant 2: ____________________________
Company Names and tons emitted:

One last thing to look at. In left column under INVESTIGATE POLLUTION TOPICS, find
Hazardous Air Pollutants and click on it.
28. How does Illinois Rank regarding Estimated Cancer Risks from HAPs?
29. Above the map, there is a place to PROVIDE YOUR ZIPCODE, then click GET
REPORT. Read through this information and click on various hyperlinks to get a
better understanding of the terminology. Summarize what you find here as the
most striking information about our county and how you feel about what you are
reading.