Question

The Cuyahoga River in Ohio had been so polluted that it caught fire repeatedly from 1868-1969, including a 1952 fire that resulted in nearly $1.5 million in damages. Amazingly, other rivers in the United States also caught fire during this period. The following question are about these fires.

Why didn't federal laws limiting pollution of rivers and streams prevent this pollution and these fires?
a. There were no federal regulations of water pollution at that time.
b. These industries that polluted the water had been repeatedly fined for polluting and simply continued to ignore the laws.
c. The federal laws preventing water pollution did not apply to this specific state, where this occurred.
d. This pollution went undetected by agents overwhelmed by the amount of work.

Answer 1

Answer: a. There were no federal regulations of water pollution at that time.

Explanation: The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland was highly polluted by sewage and industrial waste from neighboring industrial firms in the 1960s. Inflammable materials were dumped on the banks and there was a film of oil on the water. In June 1969, it caught fire from a spark on a train track and the resulted in a fire all over the river. It was not the first time this had happened but people had become more aware of the dangers of water pollution. The incident resulted in the launch of the Environmental Protection Agency. Before then, there were no federal regulations of water pollution .