From the archives | Toxic air and America's schools: Health risks stack up for school kids near industrial plants

This story originally published on Dec. 8, 2008. It is being republished as part of the commemoration of USA TODAY's 40th anniversary on Sept. 15, 2022.

ADDYSTON, Ohio — The growl of air-monitoring equipment has replaced the chatter of children at Meredith Hitchens Elementary School in this Cincinnati suburb along the Ohio River.