Cuyahoga River Fires 1868-1969

The Cuyahoga River in Ohio became a symbol of pollution after it repeatedly caught fire-13 times between 1868 and 1969. Refineries had dumped so much oil and waste into the water that tugboats saw their hulls corrode. One blaze alone caused $1 million in damages. The fires eventually sparked a nationwide environmental movement. Outrage over the burning river pushed lawmakers to create the Environmental Protection Agency, launch the Clean Water Act, and even establish Earth Day.

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