Donora Death Fog Comes to Carbon

The 1948 Donora smog, also called the Donora death fog, was an air pollution disaster that occurred in Donora, Pennsylvania, beginning on October 27 and lasted several days. It was caused by hydrogen fluoride and sulfur dioxide emissions from U.S. Steel's Donora Zinc Works and its American Steel & Wire plant during an atmospheric temperature inversion. It killed 20 people and caused respiratory problems for 6,000 of the 14,000 people living in Donora, a mill town on the Monongahela River 24 miles (39 km) southeast of Pittsburgh.

Last night, an alert resident of Nesquehoning called the Save Carbon County hotline complaining of a strong smell of burning plastic and chemicals. The resident lives ~1 mile from the Panther Creek Power plant and didn't see any other fires/burning in the area. The air was still relatively still with a light intermittent breeze. While on the phone with the resident, I checked the PurpleAir air quality real-time map and noticed that the nearby PurpleAir sensor color was yellow with a reading of 65 (normal readings for the area are 33). Readings from other nearby monitors were also over 50. I then drove to the location and spoke with the resident. After approximately 15 minutes, we concluded the conversation. I noticed irritation in the back of my throat. I took several readings outdoors away from cars and traffic using an Aeroqual Series 500 Handheld monitor with a VOC cartridge. The readings ranged from 3,400 ppb to 2,800 ppb! This is alarming as any readings above 2,200 ppb can cause physical reactions (see the VOC level guide below).

Physical symptoms such as throat irritation, sinus headaches, and nausea are associated with prolonged exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted when burning tires and tire-derived fuel. The same fuel that Panther Creek Power Plant is using to supplement coal. Co-firing tires with coal significantly increases pollutants and you can download the PDF to read more here. The air quality is even worse today. If you smell something - say something! Please call the Save Carbon County hotline at 570-676-2644 AND file an online complaint with the PA DEP or call them at 1-866-255-5158. A meeting for Nesquehoning residents to meet with attorneys regarding the tire burning is scheduled for Monday, November 17th at 7pm at the Nesquehoning Rec Center.

VOCs are lethal to more than humans; they can kill animals and affect plant growth - please don't let this happen to Carbon County!

VOC level guide

0–400 ppb: Acceptable indoor level; short-term irritations or discomforts are unlikely.

400–2,200 ppb: Moderate concern; short-term exposure can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and eye and respiratory irritation. Ventilation is recommended, and you should identify and eliminate sources.

2,200–30,000 ppb: Unhealthy level; short-term exposure can lead to dizziness, nausea, and loss of coordination.

Above 3,000 ppb: Very high concern; may cause immediate health effects.

Above 2,200 ppb and sustained: Dangerous for long-term health; prolonged exposure can cause liver and kidney damage, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Immediate action to improve air quality is necessary.