Episode 42: American Rivers Catching Fire

In 1969 it was not uncommon for American rivers to burst into flames.  Filled with sewage, oil, and agricultural waste, several major rivers were so polluted that they caught fire multiple times.

Here’s the story of those river fires, why they occurred, and what was eventually done to stop them.

Sources:
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/cuyahoga-river-caught-fire-least-dozen-times-no-one-cared-until-1969-180972444/]

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/this-river-was-once-so-dirty-that-it-caught-fire-now-its-fish-are-safe-to-eat-again

https://www.nps.gov/articles/story-of-the-fire.htm