57:(soft) coal to provide heat and power for homes, businesses and transport. In 1893, the Council passed an ordinance prohibiting the emission of "thick grey smoke within the corporate limits of St. Louis" but was unable to enforce it because of failed legal action taken against Heitzberg Packing and Provision Company, one of the worst corporate offenders. The effectiveness of laws was also limited by the lack of adequate inspection and enforcement. In 1933,
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trapped emissions from coal burning close to the ground, resulting in "the day the sun didn't shine". A cloud of thick black smoke enveloped St. Louis, far worse than any previously seen in the city. The day came to be known as "Black
Tuesday". The smog hung about for nine days over the course of the
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were all considered but ruled out on cost grounds. The alternative was to wash and size the existing soft coal to make it burn hotter and cleaner, and ensure that all coal sold in St. Louis was of this variety. In
February 1937 a smoke ordinance was passed creating a "Division of Smoke Regulation in
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Despite some improvement, smoke pollution was still a visible problem since the new law did not cover smaller businesses and domestic users – 97% of homes still used coal. The city council was reluctant to pass further legislation that might alienate voters so the mayor's "enforcer", Tucker, was
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started a campaign against the smog with a headline on
November 26, 1939, "An Approach to the Smoke Problem", suggesting ways that the city could cut down on pollution. The newspaper suggested buying cleaner fuel and distributing it to residents and resellers, helping to eliminate the cheap but
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that was being used at the time. In
February 1941, the paper reported "the plague of smoke and soot has been so well wiped off if not completely removed, that the shining countenance of the Missouri metropolis is now the envy of other cities." The
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in time for the next winter. This, together with a new smoke ordinance, improvements to the efficiency of furnaces and the ongoing public education campaign resulted in a significant and permanent improvement in air quality in the city.
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Early efforts relied on education such as teaching people how to build cleaner fires – but this had almost no impact. It was soon realized that real improvement would only come about by switching to a cleaner fuel – gas, oil,
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the
Department of Public Safety", forcing larger businesses to burn only clean coal and setting standards for smoke emission and inspection. By 1938 emissions from commercial smokestacks had been reduced by two-thirds.
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on
November 28, 1939. Visibility was so limited that streetlights remained lit throughout the day and motorists needed their headlights to navigate city streets.
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following month. This proved to be the catalyst that forced the council's hand. New cleaner, affordable supplies of coal (
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Smoke pollution had been a problem in St. Louis for many decades prior to the event, due to the large-scale burning of
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A man lights a cigarette as streetlights along Olive glow during the daytime hours of
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limited to using persuasion through the press and radio broadcasts. One newspaper in particular, the
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221:. Student Booklet 3-6, p9-11 ("Earthways Center", Missouri, USA).
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However, on
Tuesday, November 28, 1939, a meteorological
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http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/nature/environ4.html
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209:biography (Washington University Libraries).
310:(Ind. Eng. Chem., 1941, 33 (7), pp 836–839)
184:Vesilind, P. A. & DiStefano, Thomas D.
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187:Controlling Environmental Pollution
367:Air pollution in the United States
96:The smog episode and its aftermath
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265:Pulitzer Prize for Public Service
316:In the Air: In a shroud of smoke
49:The problem of pollution control
134:Jewel Box (St. Louis, Missouri)
231:Environmental History timeline
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330:History of Pollution problems
307:Smoke prevention in St. Louis
289:Energy problems in a Nutshell
109:) were quickly secured from
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267:in 1941 for its efforts. (
190:(DEStech Pubs., 2005) p24.
372:1939 in the environment
140:2013 Eastern China smog
129:1966 New York City smog
89:St. Louis Post-Dispatch
42:St. Louis Post-Dispatch
319:, Student Booklet 3-6.
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24:episode that affected
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219:In a shroud of smoke
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150:Great Smog of London
377:Environment by city
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304:Tucker, Raymond R.
124:Donora Smog of 1948
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18:1939 St. Louis smog
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272:Archived
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118:See also
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