The donora killer smog introduced the word smog into the us lexicon. A temperature inversion sets the stage for the donora smog of 1948. From the ballad death in donora, recorded by folklorist dan hoffman folks in pittsburgh, johnstown, connellsville and the other steel and mining towns of western pennsylvania were used to smog. The donora smog disaster october 3031, 1948 images. Apr 22, 2009 smog deaths in 1948 led to clean air laws on oct. Click download or read online button to get golden jubilee of the borough of donora book now. In elevated clouds the distribution of droplet sizes peaks at about. Hygiene of the public health service into the smog episode that occurred last fall in the town of donora, pa.
The historically hazy story of donora s deadly smog a 1948 environmental disaster in the pennsylvania town resulted in half truths, conspiracy theories, and the introduction of clean air laws. Townsend, chief of the division of industrial hygiene, and by the assistant chief, j. Soundcloud 218 the donora smog disaster by the dollop published on 201611. 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. Donora, pennsylvania, located near pittsburgh, was the site of two us steel facilities.
Other news, sports and advertisements of the day throughout including front page reporting on operation hiram. 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. A story from the harts my mother, june, second from left, with her sister and parents on her wedding day in in 1952 in webster, pennsylvania, across the monongahela river from the infamous donora zinc works. The detroit news, october 31, 1948 donora, pennsylvania smog disaster the front page has one column headings. The historically hazy story of donoras deadly smog atlas.
The clean air act has prevented another incident like that of the donora smog of 1948 and the london fog of 1952. In october 1948, emissions from these facilities during unusual weather conditions led to a severe and. Cleaner air is legacy left by donora s killer 1948 smog. The boroughs nickname is the home of champions, mainly because of the large number of famous athletes who. Bodies were stored in the donora hotel, one of the towns historic structures still standing on the same road as the donora smog museum, opened in 2009 to keep alive the memory and lessons of. The 1948 donora smog was a historic smog event that killed 20 people and caused respiratory. This sign, refurbished in 2019, greets visitors as they come across the stan the man musial bridge into donora. The donora smog event resulted in an estimated 25 deaths after a temperature inversion occurred, trapping high concentrations. About 14,000 people lived on the west bank, inside. In when smoke ran like water, the worldrenowned epidemiologist devra davis confronts the public triumphs and private failures of her lifelong battle against environmental pollution.
The boroughs nickname is the home of champions, mainly because of the large number of famous athletes who have called donora their home. Staying right puts you on mckean avenue and your journey to some of the most unique history in the usa. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. This site has the entire 5,672 page text of the 2008 clean air act in pdf format. Nov 29, 2017 the historically hazy story of donoras deadly smog a 1948 environmental disaster in the pennsylvania town resulted in half truths, conspiracy theories, and the introduction of clean air laws. The donora smog disaster a problem in atmospheric pollution. Special thanks to the donora smog museum, the donora historical society, and the library of congress teaching with primary sources program at california university of pennsylvania for use of their donora digital collection. The committee is currently making plans for the 65th commemoration which will be held in october 20. The city of donora is located in the valley of the monongahela river some 50 km south of pittsburgh. Until october 1948, smoke belching from industrial plants in donora and elsewhere was considered little more than a daily nuisance.
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. This dissertation explores how investigations of donora s smog reflected and contributed to the power of. Donora smog disaster phmc our documentary heritage. Donora historical society and smog museum facebook.
At a storefront museum approximately 25 miles southeast of pittsburgh, pennsylvania, a sign reads, clean air started here. The event is commemorated by the donora smog museum. Overall, donora pennsylvania was greatly impacted by the deadly smog event in 1948. Donora s 1948 smog predates that 1952 event by four years and they discuss donora during that specific show. 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 mill town on the monongahela river 24 miles 39 km southeast of pittsburgh. A secret history of americas worst air pollution disaster. For those who wont be in the monongehela river valley any time soon, a number of the museums photographs have been archived online. A temperature inversion sets the stage for the donora. Nov 01, 2017 the story of 26 sudden deaths in 1948 is a bleak reminder of why america needs clean air laws. What atmospheric phenomenon prompted the 1948 smog episode in donora, pennsylvania. In the book, you mention a very wellknown incident. Weather and geography affect the location and severity of smog. Ppt 1948 donora smog powerpoint presentation free to. Donora, pennsylvania smog killed 26 people and proved the us.
Air pollution in donora, pa epidemiology of the unusual. The donora smog museum, 595 mckean ave, donora, pa 2019. Air pollution in donora, pa epidemiology of the unusual smog. At the end of october 1948, the communities of donora and webster in pennsylvania were visited by a smog that. Donora smog museum 2020 all you need to know before you go. Please call 7248230364 if you are interested in becoming a member. They soon learned that 20 people were dead and half the town was. Stream 218 the donora smog disaster by the dollop from desktop or your mobile device. The donora fluoride fog reading assignment and worksheet. Annals of medicine about the smog that blanketed the city of donora, pa. No one was prepared for the black cloud that swallowed donora, a monongahela mill town, just a short drive south from pittsburgh, on tuesday, october 26, 1948. I had seen a show on the weather channel about donora and the smog museum a few months ago. Smog victim on stretcher, donora, pa, november 4, 1948. Emissions from the steel mill rowland and molinas work showed that ultraviolet light in.
The donora smog helped raise awareness of air pollution and its deadly effects on human beings and has even been credited with jumpstarting the clean air movement in the united states. Donora, pennsylvania smog disaster the front page has one column headings. Lois bainbridge of webster, pa, to the governor, october 31, 1948. These include smog, acid rain, greenhouse gases, and holes in. The donora smog disaster and the clean air act of 1970. 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. This created a thermal inversion that trapped emissions from the steel and zinc plants over a period of four days. At donora, 20 persons died and thousands became ill.
The towns population has dropped to a third of what its size was 65 years ago, thanks to the closing of the zinc and steel plants that used to provide employment for many of the towns citizens. We live about 45 hours from there, so my husband and i planned an overnight trip to pittsburgh and this was one of the attractions we wanted to visit. Sometimes a resident of donora is on site to discuss the tragic weather inversion which trapped deadly smog from the zinc works decades ago. In 1952 london, 12,000 people died from smog heres why. Donora smog museum 2020 all you need to know before you. 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. Many credit the literary works of henry david thoreau or teddy roosevelts patronage of national parks as the roots of the green movement in the us. Smog meant that the mills were running and the coke ovens burning. A darkness in donora when smog killed 20 people in a pennsylvania mill town in 1948, the clean air movement got its start. Major smog occurrences often are linked to heavy motor vehicle traffic, high temperatures, sunshine, and calm winds. Apr 14, 2011 detailed description of all varieties of air pollution episodes happened through out the world which in future responsible for clean air act. Killer smog in donora, pennsylvania decades tv network duration. Founded in 1946, the society and smog museum has exhibits related to the 1948 smog tragedy, founding of. Oct 27, 2011 on this day, the 63rd anniversary of the donora death fog, lets all take a deep breath and be glad that we can.
The united states public health service undertook an exhaustive study of every facet of the air. By friday, folks were crowding into local hospitals, but that didnt stop the halloween parade that same evening, when costumed. Dec 12, 2016 this feature is not available right now. Epidemiology of the unusual smog episode of october 1948. Golden jubilee of the borough of donora download ebook. A darkness in donora when smog killed 20 people in a pennsylvania mill town in 1948, the clean air movement got its start wikimedia commons.
Air pollution tragedy lesson plan ventura county air pollution. She documents the shocking toll of a publichealth disaster300,000 deaths a year in the u. In 1930, in the meuse valley, a period of intense fog in a heavy industrial area resulted in the death of 60 persons. A museum commemorating the donora smog, which killed 20 people in october 1948 and sparked national outrage over air pollution.
Public debate and corporate diplomacy in donoras fight for clean. The smog lasted about five days and killed approximately 20 people. May 24, 2012 the donora smog disaster and the clean air act of 1970. The donora smog event was devastating to the town, state and country. Scheele, surgeon general of the united states public health service. In late october 1948 the monongahela river valley town of donora, pennsylvania was subsumed in a noxious smog. Cleaner air is legacy left by donoras killer 1948 smog. In fact, since the acts inception, emissions of toxic lead in the united states have dropped 98 percent.
Sep 16, 2019 signage inside the donora smog museum. A collection of artifacts of this dark time are displayed this is an educational experience. Mar 18, 20 donora smog incident 1948 pete teichroeb. Also, sulfur dioxide emissions have dropped 35 percent and carbon monoxide levels have fallen 32 percent. Because temperature regulates the length of time it takes for smog to form, smog can occur more quickly and be more severe on a hot, sunny day. May 09, 2015 a trip to donora pa must include a stop at the smog museum.
Killer smog in london, england, and donora, pennsylvania, in the 1950s. Death of 15 laid to smog and at least 50 ill in pittsburgh area. Donora, we visit survivors bill and gladys schempp. Nov 14, 2012 what atmospheric phenomenon prompted the 1948 smog episode in donora, pennsylvania. Stay on mckean for two red lights to arrive at your destination.
Yenssi williams industrial history modern donora began in 1900 with heavy industry american steel was constructed along the river in 1915 the. As residents of a township that relied on two major industrial plants for their livelihood, the citizens of donora were no strangers to heavy pollution from the american steel and wire plant and the donora zinc works. A similar episode occurred in october 1948, when what is described as a smog enveloped the town of donora, pennsylvania. It got its name from a combination of william donner and nora mellon, banker andrew w. The historically hazy story of donoras deadly smog.