Strange Country Ep. 68: Donora Smog
Nov 22, 2018
For five days in late October 1948, a toxic smog encased the town of Donora Pa, sickening nearly half the population and killing around 20 people. The industrial mill complex that, for years, belched toxic smoke into the air, claimed it was an act of God. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly examine the worst air pollution crisis to hit the United States and recognize the current assault on clear air today.
Theme music: Resting Place by A Cast of Thousands.
Cite your sources:
Baranauskas, Liam. “The Historically Hazy Story of Donora's Deadly Smog.” Atlas Obscura, Atlas Obscura, 29 Nov. 2017, www.atlasobscura.com/articles/donora-smog-1948.
Boissoneault, Lorraine. “The Deadly Donora Smog of 1948 Spurred Environmental Protection-But Have We Forgotten the Lesson?” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 26 Oct. 2018, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/deadly-donora-smog-1948-spurred-environmental-protection-have-we-forgotten-lesson-180970533/.
Brown, Matthew. “Trump Rolls Back Pollution Rules for Drilling on U.S. Lands.” Billings Gazette, 18 Sept. 2018, billingsgazette.com/news/government-and-politics/trump-rolls-back-pollution-rules-for-drilling-on-u-s/article_e2137294-a8ab-564e-a103-edb761904145.html.
Charlton, Brian. “Donora 1948 Air Quality Crisis.” American History TV. The Donora Smog Disaster, 3 Nov. 2018, Pittsburgh, www.c-span.org/video/?321395-1/discussion-1948-donora-air-quality-crisis.
Davis, Devra Lee. When Smoke Ran like Water: Tales of Environmental Deception and the Battle against Pollution. Basic Books, 2004.
“Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum.” Google Sites, www.sites.google.com/site/donorahistoricalsociety/.
“EDITORIAL: Affordable Clean Energy Rule Isn't Clean at All.” Observer-Reporter, 26 Aug. 2018, observer-reporter.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-affordable-clean-energy-rule-isn-t-clean-at-all/article_8e5d0660-a555-11e8-8249-eb5c4d0ddb7f.html.
Friedman, Lisa. “Cost of New E.P.A. Coal Rules: Up to 1,400 More Deaths a Year.” The New York Times, 21 Aug. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/08/21/climate/epa-coal-pollution-deaths.html.
Hamill, Sean. “Unveiling a Museum, a Pennsylvania Town Remembers a Smog That Killed 20.” The New York Times, 1 Nov. 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/11/02/us/02smog.html.
Roueche, Barton. “The Fog.” The New Yorker, 30 Sept. 1950, p. 33, www.newyorker.com/magazine/1950/09/30/the-fog.