Pittsburgh pollution - a problem or not? (Philadelphia, Chester: best city, 2013)

[VASpaceMan]

So, I've read all of this conflicting info about Pittsburgh's air quality. Of course, it is *drastically* better than in the industrial past. I've never thought the air quality was bad when I've visited.

So, I see stuff like this:
Most Polluted Cities: State of the Air 2011 - American Lung Association
You'll notice that Pittsburgh is ranked #24, #7, and #3 on the three lists

..and on the other hand I see stuff like this (this one is from the Wiki for Pittsburgh):
"Also, in 2007, Forbes magazine named Pittsburgh, in an eight-way tie, the 10th cleanest city in the world.[132]"
"In 2010, Forbes and Yahoo! listed Pittsburgh as the most livable city in the United States.[10][128] One month later, Forbes named Pittsburgh the 7th best place to raise a family.[129] In August 2010, Pittsburgh was ranked the 4th best city for working mothers by Forbes[130] and the city was ranked as one of the best for entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur.[131] In 2012, the city was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the U.S. by CBS Money Watch and U.S. News.[133][134]"

??
Confused..

[speagles84]

The problem is that the sensor where the readings are taken are downwind from the clairton coke plant skewing the numbers. I'd say our air is pretty darn clean now, with the exception of a few areas.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by speagles84

I'd say our air is pretty darn clean now, with the exception of a few areas.

The Squirrel Cage and across the street from a UPMC facility at break time.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

I've heard the Clairton thing again and again here but I've never seen evidence of it. Does anyone know where the sensor is exactly?

[doo dah]

Here is the link to the latest:
American Lung Association State of the Air 2013 - Most Polluted Cities

And here is a page that has links to monitor locations:
Where You Live | AirTrends | Air & Radiation | EPA

This page: Design Values | AirTrends | Air & Radiation | EPA
has links to spreadsheets with information, including addresses. The PM10 link in 2012, Tab "Table 5, Monitor Listing" shows the following:
520 ORCHARD AVE, AVALON Avalon
HARPER DR, EVERGREEN PK, MONROEVILLE Monroeville
1275 BEDFORD AVE, FLAG PLAZA Flag Plaza
2743 WASHINGTON BLVD, LIBERTY South Allegheny Middle/High School
2743 WASHINGTON BLVD, LIBERTY South Allegheny Middle/High School
2743 WASHINGTON BLVD, LIBERTY South Allegheny Middle/High School
3640 OLD OAKDALE RD, SOUTH FAYETTE South Fayette
1000 FULTON ST, MANCHESTER Manchester
405 WHEELER AVE, MCKEES ROCKS, PA 15132 SOUTH OF NEVILLE ISLAND (UPWIND)
600 ANDERSON ST, NORTH BRADDOCK North Braddock
600 ANDERSON ST, NORTH BRADDOCK North Braddock
600 ANDERSON ST, NORTH BRADDOCK North Braddock
HIGH ST, WATER TOWER, GLASSPORT Glassport 4
501 WADDELL AVE, CLAIRTON Clairton Educational Center
BELLEBRIDGE RD, LINCOLN Lincoln

So yes, it looks like for ozone and particulates, there is a monitor near/in Clairton.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Is one monitor bringing down the air quality rating for the entire city? Also the majority of the monitors aren't even in Pittsburgh. Maybe it would be fair to say the quality of the entire county is bad seeing that the monitors are so spread out.

In my opinion when I escape to my parent's place in Venango during the summer you can really tell the difference in air quality. But of course going from the city -> country that is to be expected.

[zman63]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Is one monitor bringing down the air quality rating for the entire city? Also the majority of the monitors aren't even in Pittsburgh. Maybe it would be fair to say the quality of the entire county is bad seeing that the monitors are so spread out.

In my opinion when I escape to my parent's place in Venango during the summer you can really tell the difference in air quality. But of course going from the city -> country that is to be expected.

I agree. A few summers ago I went out to las vegas for a week. I returned to pitt and noticed a huge difference. Allegheny county has dirty air. Are we more likely to end up with cancer in pittsburgh than elsewhere ?

Aside from the air i am not sold on pittsburgh for water either. The lines are over 100 years old and dumping toxins into the rivers for decades.

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Is one monitor bringing down the air quality rating for the entire city? Also the majority of the monitors aren't even in Pittsburgh. Maybe it would be fair to say the quality of the entire county is bad seeing that the monitors are so spread out.

In my opinion when I escape to my parent's place in Venango during the summer you can really tell the difference in air quality. But of course going from the city -> country that is to be expected.

The sensor is for the metropolitan area, and every area in our metro gets that rating. And sure, Venango County is rural and very clean. Compared to Philadelphia/DC/NYC, I can breathe that same way in Pittsburgh vs those cities.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by zman63

Aside from the air i am not sold on pittsburgh for water either. The lines are over 100 years old and dumping toxins into the rivers for decades.

You're not supposed to drink from the lines that dump into the river. Those are for sewage.

No wonder you're always so down on the region. Nobody told you how the water system works.

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by Moby Hick

You're not supposed to drink from the lines that dump into the river. Those are for sewage.

No wonder you're always so down on the region. Nobody told you how the water system works.

+1 for you (if I could). Hahahahaha he's the one giving us cancer not the air/water.

For everyone's reference, all sewer lines are treated before being deposited back into the river. And everything out of the tap is filtered again before being pumped through the lines that come to your house. Seriously zman its one thing to have a negative opinion, but its an entirely different thing to lie about stuff you clearly know nothing about.

Also, Las Vegas? They have some of the worst ozone content in the country.
http://www.stateoftheair.org/2013/ci...ed-cities.html

We are #24 (even with the terrible place of our sensor), and Las Vegas is #16.