The deadly donora smog of 1948 spurred environmental. Download the pdf to view the article, as well as its associated figures and tables. A form 990 is an information return filed with the irs that shows extensive details on a nonprofit organizations income, assets, expenses, executives, directors, salaries, compensation, investments, and more. Donora, pennsylvania american journal of public health. The donora fluoride fog a secret history of americas worst air pollution disaster this article appears in the fall 1998 earth island journal, by chris bryson. The next year, president harry truman called for the first.
The donora alumni list on this page come from a variety of sources. This site has the entire 5,672 page text of the 2008 clean air act in pdf format. It got its name from a combination of william donner and nora mellon, banker andrew w. Air pollution in donora, pa epidemiology of the unusual smog. Epidemiology of the unusual smog episode of october 1948. Killer smog the story of 26 sudden deaths in 1948 is a bleak reminder of why america needs clean air laws. The book features a two page spread that shows the smog museum image, as well a brief story on the 1948 smog and a mention of the donora historical society, the smog museum and this website. Donora is a town located in pennsylvania, just south of pittsburgh, along the monongahela river. In october 1948, emissions from these facilities during unusual weather.
In late october 1948 the monongahela river valley town of donora, pennsylvania was subsumed in a noxious smog. The deleterious effect of air pollution on health has been recognized since many years, especially after episodes that occurred in meuse, belgium in 1930 1, donora, pennsylvania in 1948 2 and. An episode in donora, pennsylvania, in 1948 is an example. Donora, pennsylvania with its zinc manufacturing plant in the background. Death of 15 laid to smog and at least 50 ill in pittsburgh area. The listing of alumni from donora, pa includes graduates from 2 schools. Donora area historical tornado activity is slightly below pennsylvania state average. By december 1948, chemical and engineering news magazine published sadtlers findings. The donora smog disaster a problem in atmospheric pollution. Department of human services emphasizes importance of support for people with disabil.
Pennsylvania, where the natural fog of donoras monongahela river became. The town was home to many industries, such as steel mills and zinc melting plants, 2009. A small group of jews chartered donora hebrew congregation ohav sholom on august 24, 1903 and established a cemetery in carroll township the following year. The killer smog deadly air pollution donora, pennsylvania, 1948 zincsmelting factory smog common weather. The event is commemorated by the donora smog museum. Industrial air pollution, public health policy, and the politics of expertise, 19481949. In late october, 1948, donora was hit with an environmental disaster that would. Annals of medicine about the smog that blanketed the city of donora, pa. Yet 1948 was an unusual situation because before also anticyclone were created but there were no toll of life.
An air pollution disaster over the two southwestern pennsylvania towns of donora and webster in october 1948 took dozens of lives, left thousands literally gasping for breath, and motivated the united states public health service phs to enter the arena of air pollution policy. The fluoride deception reveals how military and industry scientists and public health officials buried information about fluorides potential for human harm, while promoting its use in dentistry. View and download lists of nonprofit companies in the zip code of 15033 donora pa with statistics on assets, income, revenues, 501c classifications, form 990s. A pollution disaster unprecedented in american history, the donora death fog, made air pollution a national concern. Public debate and corporate diplomacy in donoras fight for clean. Donora is a rust belt place which has lost most of its industrial capacity.
This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The 1948 donora smog was a historic air inversion that resulted in a wall of smog that killed 20 people and sickened 7,000 more in donora, pennsylvania, a mill town on the monongahela river, 24 miles 39 km southeast of pittsburgh. Browse photos, see new properties, get open house info, and research neighborhoods on trulia. The 1948 poisonous smog that killed 20 led to creation of the clean air act. Check check question 20 correct mark 200 out of 200. At the end of october 1948, the communities of donora and webster in pennsylvania were visited by a smog that changed the face of environmental protection. Air pollution episodes and disasters ketan wadodkar m. Steel corporation is dimly seen through fumeladen smoke and fog. Air pollution in donora download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl.
Over a fiveday period, the smog killed about 20 people and made thousands more. Donora s 1948 smog predates that 1952 event by four years and they discuss donora during that specific show. Other news, sports and advertisements of the day throughout including front page reporting on operation hiram. A secret history of americas worst air pollution disaster. High school alumni in donora, pennsylvania pa class. The donora zinc works, donora, pa, november 3, 1948.
Donora, pennsylvania project gutenberg selfpublishing. Death cloud envelops pennsylvania mill town donora zinc works of the u. Donora, pennsylvania smog killed 26 people and proved the. The detroit news, october 31, 1948 donora, pennsylvania smog disaster the front page has one column headings. Thickening smog in donora, pa courtesy of the donora historical society. The boroughs nickname is the home of champions, mainly because of the large number of famous athletes who. A darkness in donora when smog killed 20 people in a pennsylvania mill town in 1948, the clean air movement got its start. Corre ct question 2 1 out of 1 points what was the significance of the smog episodes in donora, pennsylvania, and london. Steel corporations donora zinc works and american steel and wire. Clicking one of your friends will give you locations that you can get back in touch with the fellow graduate. Donora is a borough in washington county, pennsylvania, united states, approximately 20 miles 32 km south of pittsburgh on the monongahela river donora was incorporated in 1901. A followup of donora ten years after methodology and.
The content of the brochure is divided into an introduction, biologic studies, atmospheric studies, which include many subheadings, such as a collection of the atmospheric pollutants, determination of the nature of these pollutants, a description of the various plant operations in the donora area, as well as the consideration of the pollution. Air pollution in donora, pa epidemiology of the unusual. The zinc works reopened the next week, but business in pennsylvania and the nation did not return to normal. In the early morning hours of october 26, 1948, a fog settled over the town of donora, pennsylvania, the home of u. Killer smog claims elderly victims killer smog continues to hover over donora, pennsylvania, on october 29, 1948. Pta pennsylvania congress 501c3 nonprofit donora, pa. The fluoride deception reveals that fluoride pollution was the greatest legal threat facing the wartime manhattan project. That type of pollution, although less toxic, was also being created in large quantities at houses in the donora area where coal was burned for heat, brysons book indicates. They soon learned that 20 people were dead and half the town was.
And the book documents how a secretive group of powerful industries, who all. Donora is a town located in pennsylvania, just south of pittsburgh, along the. The 1948 donora smog was a historic smog event that killed 20 people and caused respiratory problems for 6,000 people of the 14,000 population of donora, pennsylvania. A fiveday period of nearstagnation brought on such aggravated conditions that 17 deaths occurred within a 14hour period, when only one death might have been expected under ordinary circumstances. The anniversary of the worst recorded industrial air pollution accident in us history which occurred 50 years ago this october in donora, pennsylvania will go virtually unmarked. The deadly donora smog of 1948 spurred environmental protectionbut have we forgotten the lesson. Atmospheric conditions in the vicinity of donora, pennsylvania, contributed to the deaths of nineteen people within a 24hour period. Duff on october 31, 1948, calls for government intervention in a deadly industrial accident. To filter results, select a donora, pa high school using the links to the right. The article titled donora residents calm in spite of fatal smog, said that on the streets of donora youngsters continued their games of touch football and rode their bikes.
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