How bad is our local air quality?

Deaths from Power Plant Pollution

Deaths from Power Plants Our region has the highest rate of death caused by power plant pollution in the entire United States. The map at the left shows that our region is in purple - the most deaths.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, almost 400 West Virginians die each year from heart attacks and lung cancer caused by power plant pollution. Fine particulates from power plant pollution causes 41,627 lost work days, 331 hospitalizations and 7,293 asthma attacks every year. Of those attackes 314 require emergency room visits. Link

According to the American Lung Association ...

Monongalia County has grades of F and D for ozone and particle pollution, respectively. Link

OZONE
Grade: F

PARTICLE POLLUTION - 24 Hour
Grade: D

Mon County's Total Population: 84,386
Population Under Age 18: 14,383
Population Age 65 & Over: 8,962

GROUPS AT RISK
Pediatric Asthma: 1,421
Adult Asthma: 6,445
Chronic Bronchitis: 2,265
Emphysema: 964
Cardiovascular Disease: 22,543
Diabetes: 4,662

Greene County, PA also scored an F for ozone pollution. No data were given for particulates. Link

Pittsburgh replaced Los Angeles as the worst city in the United States for short-term paticulate pollution, according to the American Lung Association. Link

According to the Clean Air Task Force...

The lifetime cancer risk from diesel soot in our community is 217 times greater than EPA's acceptable cancer level of 1 in a million. Link

The Pollution Information Scorecard...

Monongalia County "ranked among the dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of total environmental releases in 2002" (the latest year for which data were available). Link