PQ: The Truth about Pittsburgh's Air (Clairton, Denver: quality of life, living in, law)

[VALT]

Pittsburgh Quarterly had an excellent article for those concerned about the future of Pittsburgh; its ability to continue to attract new residents, especially the kind the city needs most who work in health and high technology, and those concerned about the quality of life or just living in general -

IN short, Pittsburgh's air quality is DOA due to the coal burning power plants from our friends in states like WV, Ohio, KY and North Carolina,

While most of the power plants around here have "cleaned up their act" many in the outer states, continue to burn coal in the dirtiest way possible, sending the find partical matter over here for bikers, joggers, eldery, kids and small children to ingest in their lungs.

The solution it said was close at hand, but one little counter law suit this summer, brought on by a NC power plant over turned a sure thing - our bright and glorious future.

After that, Pittsburghers in general, yawned, then moved onto other matters. Lawmakers became caught up in the bailout.

There is hope - I have to believe if US Steel is spending a billion to clean up its part in this mess, we will demand other do the same

Maybe if Arlen Specter stopped talking about US air and the Post the Steelers, something would get done.

[dugdogmaster]

Ya, US Steel is investing millions, if not a couple billion to clean up its Clairton Works. Thank you neighbors for the dirty air

[Katarina Witt]

It's hard to see how Kentucky and NC could influence Pittsburgh's air. WV and Ohio, maybe. This theory has been around for a long time.

Add:

http://www.intellicast.com/National/Wind/JetStream.aspx

According to this map, virtually no air currents from W VA or NC are crossing the Pgh area, and very little from KY.

[nuwaver88]

I am not suggesting that there is not room for improvement, but Pittsburgh is an easy target, based on past reputation and other factors. Yes, there is pollution around Pittsburgh. It is a major city. Is it worse than most major cities? I have my doubts. Am I naive? Maybe, but I want real data. I guess as long as we think we are as bad as circa 1945 then we will continue to strive to be better and more species of fish will continue to swim in our rivers near the Point.

[Awesomo.2000]

Originally Posted by Katiana

It's hard to see how Kentucky and NC could influence Pittsburgh's air. WV and Ohio, maybe. This theory has been around for a long time.

Add:

Intellicast - Jet Stream in United States

According to this map, virtually no air currents from W VA or NC are crossing the Pgh area, and very little from KY.

God, now you have a masters in meteorology? Oh a jetstream map gives you atleast a bachelors. Air masses come from due west, north west north, west north west, south west, south west south, west south west, or due south typically. They can come from the east, but this is very untypical, and is usually from the result of a low pressure system on the coast sending counter clockwise winds back towards Pittsburgh. The Jetstream just indicates how far down the cold air from Canada is going to drop. In the summer that thing is about to about 50-60 degrees latitude and our winds come from Kentucky or North Carolina.

We already discovered your doctorate in architecture and urban design.

I quit. Posting on internet forums is doing nothing for me anymore. I am going to substitute libraries and reading instead.

[SueJ999]

Originally Posted by Awesomo.2000

I quit. Posting on internet forums is doing nothing for me anymore. I am going to substitute libraries and reading instead.

Oh, no, Awesomo, please don't quit! We like your insights!

[mariok689]

Awesomo, I am a fan as well. Stick around.
Though I also appreciate Katiana's input. We have different opinions but she definitely knows her stuff.

My thoughts on the air pollution in PGH is the geography, the coal power plants (in PA but largely other states) and the jetstream all contribute to the high count of those damn particulates. Luckily now we have a President who is much more environmentally friendly and we can all breathe genuinely clean air.


Pittsburgh was misrepresented in the American Lung Association/media reports, in my opinion.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Awesomo.2000

God, now you have a masters in meteorology?

No. I have a BS from Pitt. They taught us how to research for ourselves. Every city that gets a bad rating from the ALA talks about how inaccurate their data is. I frankly am surprised that Denver did not make the ozone list this year. Anyway, I spoke with a PhD physicist who agrees with my hypothesis that it is hard to blame Pittsburgh's air pollution on a state 500 miles away (Kentucky) that only has 5 MSAs with a total population less than that of Pittsburgh, or another state 500 miles away to the SE, against the direction of the prevailing winds (NC), with only two MSAs of over 1 million people, when Pittsburgh has 2.4 million people right there to make pollution.

PS: I probably have more of a science background than the people who wrote that article. All power plants have to abide by federal anti-pollution laws, and most states have their own laws as well.

[creepsinc]

Originally Posted by Katiana

No. I have a BS from Pitt. They taught us how to research for ourselves. Every city that gets a bad rating from the ALA talks about how inaccurate their data is. I frankly am surprised that Denver did not make the ozone list this year. Anyway, I spoke with a PhD physicist who agrees with my hypothesis that it is hard to blame Pittsburgh's air pollution on a state 500 miles away (Kentucky) that only has 5 MSAs with a total population less than that of Pittsburgh, or another state 500 miles away to the SE, against the direction of the prevailing winds (NC), with only two MSAs of over 1 million people, when Pittsburgh has 2.4 million people right there to make pollution.

PS: I probably have more of a science background than the people who wrote that article. All power plants have to abide by federal anti-pollution laws, and most states have their own laws as well.

Kentucky is as close as 294 miles from Pittsburgh and I don't have trouble believing that it's a little bit of everything.

[Katarina Witt]

The closest Kentucky MSA, Lexington, is 371 miles from Pittsburgh. The rest of KY east of that is quite rural.