During the 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting, the Donora Smog 5K Run will mark the 1948 Donora Death Smog, which was responsible for launching the clean air movement in the US. The event will take place in Donora, PA, just a few miles up the Monongahela River from Pittsburgh.
Donora Smog Museum Commemorative Celebration
The Donora Smog Commemorative Committee oversees the activities of the Donora Smog Museum that claims, "Clean Air Started Here." The Committee also organizes social outreach events to support the museum.
On Saturday, October 27, the commemorative 5K Run/Walk will be held at 10AM. Funds raised from the event help fund museum operations. During the run, the museum will be open for visitors, and Peter Barker from Pioneer TV will be in Donora producing the documentary When Weather Changed the World for the Weather Channel.
If you are interested in attending the run walk, please comment on this blog post below or drop me a line -- maybe we can co-organize or carpool! Information on location and registration for the event can be found here.
The museum's website contains a wealth of information on the history of the Donora, Pennsylvania, community and the rise of environmental awareness that the town was tragically a part of. As a young professional (YP), I even co-authored a blog post about the Donora Death Smog, its impact, and the museum about it with another YP collaborator.
I hope you have the opportunity to attend and enjoy this year's annual meeting in Pittsburgh. If you are interested in supporting events like a 5k run in the future, or other multilateral efforts within the institute, please stay in touch.