'USA Today' Toxic Pollution Database Rates 128,000 Schools

By: Joe Strupp USA Today on Monday launched one of the most extensive online database reports of any newspaper, claiming to have rated the toxic pollution impact on 128,000 public schools across the country.

An investigative series called, ?The Smokestack Effect: Toxic Air and America?s Schools,? includes an online listing of the schools and rankings based on the impact of toxic emissions in their area.

Readers can type in their local school and find out where it rates, according to the USA Today findings.

"The special project looks at issues such as why children are vulnerable to toxic chemicals and, using the government?s own data and modeling software, points to schools which appear to be in toxic hot spots," a release stated. "The series, which took eight months to produce and will run through the month, can be found at smokestack.usatoday.com."

As of 10:30 a.m. EDT, the series had prompted more than 135 online comments.

The newspaper adds that: "the database is modeled on information reported to the government by 20,000 industrial plants. The series also offers information on how Americans can learn more about the air outside their schools and do something about it."

"USA TODAY also worked with the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins? Bloomberg School of Public Health to take 'snapshots' of the air at almost 95 schools in 30 states," the paper said. "The series will continue on Tuesday with a look at what USA TODAY discovered and what experts say needs to be done to help parents and school districts know for certain what's in the air outside schools."