Environmental Pollutants
Clairton, PA Pollution Risk
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AIR QUALITY REPORT
Pittsburgh air dirtiest in nation, says new study
October 9, 2009 -- A new report by the American Lung Association ranked Pittsburgh air quality as the dirtiest in the nation, much of it attributable to industrial air pollution in Pennsylvania.
“We’ve worked with our health department in pushing our partners, our steel partners, US Steel, Clairton Works, to make a major investment in cleaning up their coke batteries,” said council president Richard Fitzgerald. “We realize that’s a source in the Mon Valley that needs to be dealt with, and in working together with them, we’ve seen some improvement.”
The report factored in not only Pittsburgh proper, but also outlying areas in Pennsylvania plagued by toxic air quality.
Mon Valley tops air quality cancer list
For example, due to emissions from the US Steel plant in Allegheny County, residents living in the Mon Valley towns of Clairton and Glassport are exposed to chemical air pollution that makes their risk of developing cancer an astounding 20-times greater than the national average, says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a separate report.
According to the report, the US Steel plant in Clairton has the largest coke processing facility in the nation and is one of the country’s biggest sources for toxic air pollution. The top three toxic chemicals emitted by the plant in 2007 were nitrates, ammonia and benzene - all linked to cancer in humans.
More than two decades of industrial air pollution has led to a very high risk of cancer among residents living in Mon Valley. According to the EPA, the cancer risk for Clairton, Pa., is 762 in 1 million residents; and for nearby Glassport, Pa., 700 in 1 million. The national average cancer risk is 36 in 1 million.
Environmental law firm for community rights!
For a free legal consultation, Pennsylvania residents diagnosed with cancer are advised to contact the personal injury law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg (via the questionnaire on this page). You or a family member may be eligible for financial compensation to pay for medical bills, lost wages and personal damages.
see also:
April 2010 Study
Clairton Coke Works Air Quality Study | Weitz & Luxenberg attorneysNew American Lung Association air quality study shows improvement, but problems linked to Clairton Coke Works emissions. Get more info from our lawyers.
Health and Pollution Studies
Clairton | Weitz & LuxenbergFree case review: Clairton air pollution linked to high cancer rates.
Pollution Risk
Nitrates And Cancer Clairton, PA | Weitz & LuxenbergFree consult for Mon Valley residents injured by nitrates and cancer
