Module 1.1 - A Turning Point Event for Environmental Science- Celebrating the Comeback of the Burning River, 1969-2019

 

      1. Point of View

The video is told from the perspective of several people. The captain of the SS Holiday, Wayne Bratton, who was there the day of the fire. He experienced the fire firsthand and tells what he recalls happening that day. The story is also told by The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and other environmental organizations like the Cuyahoga River Restoration and Metro Parks, that had helped clean up and take action after the incident. The Mayor of Cuyahoga Falls also speaks on the dams in the river. 

      1. Purpose

The purpose of this video is to show the effects that humans have on our environment. Our actions play a huge role in how our environment is shaped. It shows that if we go unchecked and if no one cares about the environment we live in, our world will go very downhill. The video explains that we need to be better, more loving and caring to our environment to protect it. 

      1. Questions at Issue

The Pollution and bad water quality was affecting the lives of people in the city, and it got so bad that the river caught fire. People finally opened their eyes and saw the severity of the situation. This fire needed to happen in order for the world to realize our effect and act to change it.

Industries were being very careless about their waste, so The Clean Water Act required them to have to clean up. 

The dams on the river are hindering the water quality and the fish populations. A few of the smaller dams were taken down and that allowed for the water quality to finally meet the requirements of Ohio. 

      1. Information

In 1969, The Cuyahoga River caught fire. Time Magazine posted a photo of the fire that opened the city's eyes to realize that they had a major pollution issue, and something needed to be done. Cleanup crews thought that it was going to be hopeless. The Oil Study Group tried to study the problem and find solutions. The International Joint Commission between the US and Canada got involved with the water quality issue came in to inspect the issue. The first pass of The Clean Water Act was formed to make some regulations to help improve the situation like industries having to clean up. The Gorge Dam was creating a large unsolved water quality issue. A few small dams were taken down to improve the quality. Now, there are restaurants on the river, tourists, and kayakers that race down the river. The river has completely turned around and has helped the world realize how important it is to protect our rivers and our environment. 

      1. Interpretation and Inference

The video's main conclusion point was that our environment needs us to maintain it and to protect it. The river is so important to the community and although it took a while to realize it, our rivers needed laws to protect them. The video makes people see that keeping our rivers clean allows for our cities with rivers to have good water quality and to be able to sustain life that we can use as a resource.

      1. Concepts

The Clean Water Act- A revision to the Water Pollution Control Act that was to restore and maintain the water. It changed the water quality standards, oil spill regulations, and industry waste discharge regulations. (Holst, 2023)

Water Pollution Control Act of 1970 and 1972- What was in place before the Water Quality Act that did not hold as high of standards in industries cleaning up and polluting the waters. 

      1. Assumptions

The citizens of Cuyahoga assumed that no one cared about the pollution and how bad the water quality was at the time, but really, they just were not sure what they could do. They thought it was too far gone to be able to be fixed and restored back to health. They thought that there was nobody willing or wanting to help them and their city. 

      1. Consequences

The Outcome of the pollution from people and from industries being careless with their waste was the river catching fire and the water quality being so terrible that it could not even support wildlife. The Water Quality Act made it so there were regulations and laws on the amount of waste being discharged into the river and laws on the standard of the water quality. The fire made the citizens see firsthand how their actions had such major and severe consequences in their river and in return in their city and their lives.

                 

Caption: Photo of the Cuyahoga River on fire in 1969. The fire caused severe damages that took many years and millions of dollars to cleanup and restore.


References:

[Ohio EPA]. (2018, November 2). Celebrating the Comeback of the Burning River, 1969-2019 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18JpT61rX6A&list=PL1QVFWinMEQVayLVMzv7CzuOz2d1mTY90

The Allegheny Font (2017, April 21). How A Burning River Helped Create The Clean Water Act. Alleghenyfont. Retrieved September 3, 2023, from https://www.alleghenyfront.org/how-a-burning-river-helped-create-the-clean-water-act/

Holst, A. (2023, August 30). Clean Water Act (CWA). Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Clean-Water-Act



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