New statistics show heightened mortality rate from fine particulate pollution across Allegheny County, Mon Valley
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- New air pollution and early death statistics in Allegheny County have been unveiled through a new study.
The study finds that county residents have a higher mortality rate from fine particulate pollution than other parts of the country, particularly in the poorer towns of the Mon Valley and parts of the city.
Clean air advocates are calling for change.
Air monitors in the Mon Valley have long picked up what clean air advocates term dangerous levels of air pollution, especially PM2.5, micro particulates released into the air at industrial sites like U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works, oftentimes, unseen by the naked eye.
"So, it's not a visual nuisance, but because it's so small, where you breathe, it gets directly into your bloodstream. That's where the danger is," said Qiyam Ansari of Valley Clean Air Now.
"People are dying as a result of this," Matthew Mehalik added.
The study, released on Wednesday by Carnegie Mellon's Breathe Project, finds that between 640 and 1,370 people in Allegheny County are dying each year from PM2.5 particulate air pollution exposures, including respiratory disease, higher rates of cancer and cardiac disease.
The most impacted communities were in the Mon Valley and parts of the city where more than 20% of the residents live below the property line and are disproportionally communities of color. There, the mortality rates are 33% higher than the rest of the county.
"People who have lived in these impacted communities have been saying this for years. This backs up their story, and it's time for injustice to end," Mehalik said.
While not the only source of particulate pollution, U.S. Steel has been in battle for years with the county health department, which has repeatedly cited and fined the steel giant for air pollution exceedances. While U.S. Steel says it has invested tens of millions of dollars in pollution controls, advocates question their commitment to modernize the cokeworks.
"I fear our neighbor here has made it clear what they hope to do, which is take out as much profit as they can and run for greener pastures in non-union states," Ansari added.
Given the number of workers employed here, the clean air advocates are not asking for the cokeworks to be shut down, but they are asking for it to be modernized to reduce the impacts of this particulate pollution and extend lives.