Study: Most Polluted Park is Smokies

“What they forgot to mention is that a lot of the pollution is created in the west (as far away as Arkansas) and is blown to the east by the prevailing winds where it bumps into the mountains and dumps all the airborne crap.

The article makes it sound like the cause of the pollution is the parks visitation numbers. Not true. Yes there is an effect caused by the visitors but this isn't a case of "Loving the park to death." It's a case of "acceptable" air pollution over several states being concentrated in one area by wind patterns and the mountains acting as a moisture/pollution dam.”

“More info from the sugarlands air quality project. This was published in 1994.”

“It’s the same thing with acid rain in the Adirondacks, pollution from west of there.”

“I heard the Smokies use to smoke...






















...pot!”

“The local radio AM station says that its know effecting hikers health. Some problems have persisted from the regular Smoky Hikers?? True or not its debatable@”

“Smog sucks!

8|”

“Same thing on the Dolly Sods. Some people blame it on the power plant, but that plant has been there since the early 1950s. I think they even have a scrubber on the stack. The increase comes from the Midwest. The nearby plant sends its pollution eastward if it generates any.”

“Prowler when we were there on Memorial day one of the fellas I was with was hacking and wheezing all weekend. It was a little rough on me too up high and I've never had problems anywhere.

Down low it was all good.”

“thats crazy HPM!”

“I forgot to mention an important point. He had asthma.”

“I personally have never had any problems in the Smokies”

“Nuke the Midwest......and those dang Arkies!”

“Living close to the Smoky's I have noticed many problems. The summer skys are hardly ever clear blue skys.
There are so many cars and people there I hate going anywhere near the area. We usually go to the Cosby side to avoid the crowds.
I think they would do well to do shuttles in the park. The traffic there is bumper to bumper and this does cause problems with air. Kills the trees etc.
The haze and muck is here where I live. I know there is alot of other problems but this would be a start.
Barb”

“I guess I will go ahead and vent here.
We should as a country start using different fuels in our cars. I know this is a BIG problem seeing that some pocketbooks would suffer (not any of ours!). Change fuel to corn or hemp products. Then the power plant problems with coal would not even be a issue. We are people who adapt. It sometimes cost us but we do change.
We would have no need for middle eastern fuel and they could go ahead and destroy each other...

Our farmers would have crops they could make a living on and many people may start farming again.

Just some issues I have.
Barbara”