Heinz Endowment report: Western PA region's air quality "unacceptably poor"

[Divernan]

This report comes at a time when our new governor is gutting DEP and stacking it with Big Oil pimps - oh, pray excuse me - they call themselves executives.

HOW BAD IS IT? The series noted 12,833 excess deaths, based on national death rates in 14 counties of southwestern Pennsylvania, 2000 through 2008, for heart and respiratory disease and lung cancer -- diseases linked to air-pollution exposure.

WHEN MIGHT IT IMPROVE? Given the recent history of the state's air quality management, the prognosis is minimally 10 years from now. And that estimate was made BEFORE DEP was co-opted by the Oil Governor.
PDFs of the two part report are available at this link, as is the article from which I include the first 4 Paragraphs, below.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11068/1130807-455.stm#ixzz1G8llAN7D


"Concluding that regional air quality is "unacceptably poor," the Heinz Endowment has released a detailed report that says smokestack and vehicle emissions continue to cause environmental damage, illness and death.

"Harmful concentrations of pollutants measured in the region persist," according to the Heinz Endowment report prepared by the Clean Air Task Force of Boston. "People in the region may be dying prematurely from exposure to harmful levels of air pollution."

The 32-page report, "Fine Particulate Matter and Ozone Air Quality in Western Pennsylvania in the 2000s," released today along with a summary document, "Understanding Western Pennsylvania's Air Pollution Problem," states that "Pittsburgh's air pollution problem is among the most serious in the country."

"While some significant progress has been made through the decades in reducing some types of harmful emissions, the progress has not been strong enough," said Endowments President Robert Vagt. "The Pittsburgh region has one of the most serious air pollution problems in the country, and it is likely to get worse because it is not keeping pace with other regions that continue to make better progress."

[PA Democrat]

1. Interesting interactive map "Mapping Mortality"

http://multimedia.post-gazette.com/MappingMortality/maps_mortality/default.asp

[Divernan]

2. Note Duquesne Light'sSpringdale Power Plant is surrounded by an area of highest mortality.

[PA Democrat]

3. I've seen maps showing correlation of mercury pollution to

rates of certain types of learning disabilities. PA has some of the worst mercury emmissions for coal-burning power plants in the country.

http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/report-pennsylvania-mercury-emissions-impact-area-rivers-1.1096028#axzz1G8xZxaNn

[Divernan]

4. Hey, news reporters/editors- your families are breathing this crap air EVERY day!

And your families are drinking & bathing in the local water, which Corbett's corrupted DEP is testing UPSTREAM of the pollution sources. Do y'all understand UPSTREAM? That means they are testing it in parts of the river before the contaminants are pumped in!

What is this death wish that keeps you from exposing the truth?