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Unpopular opinion: my town's air got cleaner once the coal plant shut down
I live in a small town in Ohio and for as long as I can remember there was this gray haze that hung over everything, especially in the mornings. When the plant closed 2 years ago I didn't think much of it, but about 6 months later I noticed I could actually see the hills on the other side of the valley for the first time ever. Has anyone else seen this kind of quick change in their area, or does it usually take way longer for the air to clear up?
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troy_adams7d ago
Air quality does not bounce back that fast in most places. I grew up near a smelter in Montana that closed in the 80s, and the soil is still toxic enough that they tell kids not to play in the dirt. Same deal with the rivers around old mining towns, the fish are still full of mercury 40 years later. What probably happened in your case is the plant was the only big source left, so once it stopped, the everyday soot cleared out quick. That is different from the stuff that soaks into the ground and stays there for decades. So yeah, you got lucky, but I would not count on it being that clean under the surface.
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