The Donora Smog | U.S. disaster sparked environmental change (2002)

On October 28, 1948, a smothering fog descended on Donora, Pennsylvania, a bustling mill town about an hour south of Pittsburgh. By October 31, thousands of local residents were sickened and 20 people died. In the following months, dozens more died from causes related to respiratory issues. The disaster was attributed to emissions from U.S. Steel's Donora Zinc Works, combined with an air inversion that trapped the fumes in the low-lying Monongahela River Valley. This short documentary features rare interviews with those who experienced the tragedy, including Donora mill nurse Eileen Loftus, firefighter Bill Schempp, football player Tony Romantino, residents Jean Davis and Dr. Dimitri Petro. Also featured is Dr. Devra Davis, epidemiologist and author of "When Smoke Ran Like Water," a book that details one of the worst pollution disasters in history. Film credits: David Solomon, writer/producer; Andy Masich, producer/narrator; Paul Ruggieri, photographer/editor. NOTE: This story originally premiered November 4, 2002, on WQED-TV. It was made available here, from the WQED archives, in 2024. Subscribe FREE to WQED's YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/WQEDYouTube Connect with WQED: ► Web: https://www.wqed.org ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WQEDPittsburgh ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wqed ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/wqed