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.