The "River of Fire" 40 Years Later

“Monday is the 40th anniversary of the Cuyahoga River fire of 1969, when oil-soaked debris floating on the river’s surface was ignited, most likely by sparks from a passing train.” Outrage caused by the small fire on the Cuyahoga led to indirectly to the passage of the Clean Water Act and to 40 years of productive cleanup, but locally the river remains challenged by its role as a municipal and industrial resource. Christopher Maag in The New York Times.