On June 22, 1969, the Cuyahoga River literally caught fire, and the subsequent public outrage was arguably the catalyst for environmental regulatory protections like the Clean Water Act. Another environmental disaster was a catalyst for environmentalism: “In the spring following the [Santa Barbara's 1969 Oil Spill], Earth Day was born nationwide.” Furthermore, in 1970 the National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA was signed into law.

A book by marine biologist and naturalist Rachel Carson—Silent Spring—was no doubt another important ingredient that fostered the modern environmental movement. However, although the mindset of out of sight, out of mind or the misunderstanding that Nature can absorb our waste without consequences, was historically a huge factor in our Nation’s environmental troubles, history seems to be repeating itself today. However, the difference today are our environmental regulatory protections. From The Plain Dealer:

The fire — a brief Sunday afternoon flare-up of oil-soaked debris likely ignited by either molten steel or a spark from a passing rail car — was doused by local firefighting tugboat crews. The story barely made the newspapers the next day.

But the effect of that two-hour flare-up has lasted four decades.

Today, the river fire stands as an enduring image of progress gone wrong.

But after so many years, it becomes difficult to really understand and feel the rampant water (and air) pollution of the industrial era that led to the Cuyahoga fire.

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The image of a black, gooey hand coming out of the Cuyahoga like a B-movie swamp monster defined the plight of the Cuyahoga. By association, it indicted all industrial American cities — and a culture that for a century had generally viewed natural waterways as a means to an end.

“The Cuyahoga River — the thick pollution on the water and the fire — became a convenient example of what ‘bad’ really is,” said Frank Samsel, whose company aided in early 1970s cleanup efforts.

Video: “[Water pollution] is the shadow of progress”

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