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Oct 29, 2015

What Happened 67 Years Ago on October 29th?

October 29, 1948: Toxic smog hovered over Donora, Pennsylvania. Over five-day period, smog killed 20 people (mostly elderly) & made thousands seriously ill. Town of 14,000 people on Monongahela River in valley surrounded by hills was home to steel mills & zinc smelting plant, which released sulphuric acid, carbon monoxide, & volatile organic compounds (VOC's) into atmosphere. Afterwards, air pollution finally became a matter of public concern. Donora tragedy led to the passage of 1955 Clean Air Act.