The health department says climate change will make temperature inversions more frequent. A foggy blanket of air pollution hung over the county during the week of Christmas.
A new state analysis indicates that Pennsylvanians are breathing cleaner air. However, one big exception includes residents living near U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works.
Rural areas see more of an economic boost, while metro Pittsburgh and other more densely populated counties bear the brunt of premature deaths from the industry's air pollution.
The state will spend $3.9 million to explore the potential health effects of fracking after months of pressure from families of cancer patients in Washington County.
