Donora Smog

• The Donora Smog of 1948 happened In Donora, Pennsylvania. Donora is also known for being a Mill Town. People began noticing on the last week of October 1948. The factories involved in the incident Donora Zinc Works and U. S. Steel Corporation. However, after the incident they DENIED any responsibility for the disaster even after the government’s findings. Approximately 500 residents became ill, they report symptoms of respiratory problems. No doubt, countless others suffered in silence. The Donora Zinc Works shut down its smelters to try and eliminate as much smoke and industrial fumes. Luckily, rain helped to disperse the Smog and the skies cleared eventually cleared. It  contributed to the deaths of 19 people within a 24-hour period. (20 died in total) The results from the incident; 2 had Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis and 17  had Chronic Heart Disease or Asthma.(All Between the Ages of 52 and 85.) Through this incident it began the environmental movement in the US. Focusing on the nation’s harmful and sometimes fatal side effects on life and the environment from air. The enactment of the Clean Air Act and creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are a legacy of the Donora tragedy.