A reminder of what the Bay looked like before environmental regulation—open dumping of industrial waste, raw sewage, and fuel, and constant oil spills.
Before EPA and laws like the Clean Water Act, America's waters were choked with pollution. Ohio's Cuyahoga River, which became a symbol of environmental degradation in the 60s, was so polluted that it repeatedly caught fire.
Today, it's estimated that the #CleanWaterAct alone prevents 700 *billion* pounds of toxic pollution from entering US waters every single year.
We MUST defend these vital laws and institutions.
#EPA #bayarea #sanfranciscobay #SFBay #environment #waterpollution
Photos courtesy of EPA's historic archive
