The closure in January 2016 of one of Pittsburgh’s biggest coal-processing plants led to immediate and lasting declines in emissions of fossil fuel–related air pollutants.
The closure in January 2016 of one of Pittsburgh’s biggest coal-processing plants led to immediate and lasting declines in emissions of fossil fuel–related air pollutants. These in turn were linked to near-instant decreases in local heart-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases, a new study shows. The impact of the closure persisted through at least December 2018, the last month for which data were analyzed.
Led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the study was designed to assess the short- and longer-term health effects of the shutdown of the Shenango Coke Works facility, which for more than 50 years produced coke, a coal-derived product needed for steelmaking. Before closing under community pressure, the plant had incurred millions of dollars in government fines for air and water pollution.
Although the study, performed in a real-life situation, did not demonstrate a cause-and-effect link between any individual’s health and the plant closure, the results of the “natural experiment” showed a strong overall statistical association between the closure and measures of improved health, such as reduced visits to the emergency department, the researchers say.
Read more at NYU Grossman School of Medicine
