The Pittsburgh-based Group Against Smog and Pollution will host a December 14 webinar on Making the Connection - What the Donora Smog Disaster Can Teach Use 74 Years Later starting at 6:30 p.m.

The Donora Smog Disaster of 1948 in Washington County is perhaps the most infamous air pollution event in American history.

That weekend of horrific air quality killed 20 people and sickened thousands more, but it also galvanized residents to take environmental action - a movement that culminated in the creation of the state Air Pollution Control Act and later the federal Clean Air Act.

The event will feature a panel of local experts including:

-- Mark Pawelec and Brian Charlton, historians from the Donora Smog Museum.

-- Scott Beveridge, a retired, award-winning investigative journalist from the Observer-Reporter newspaper in Washington County whose work uncovered new details about the disaster and its fallout.

-- Myranda Fullerton, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service.

During the 90-minute program, attendees will have the opportunity to view rare historical videos, learn from experts how U.S. Steel used a combination of public relations and victim blaming to downplay its role in the killer smog event, and hear heart-wrenching stories of personal loss and environmental damage gleaned from the pages of long-forgotten court documents.

Click Here to register for this free event.

For more information on programs, initiatives, upcoming events and how you can get involved, visit the Group Against Smog and Pollution website.

[Posted: November 16, 2022]

11/21/2022