Fish from famously polluted river now OK’D to eat

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Fishinthe Cuyahoga River, which became synonymous with pollution when it caught fire in Cleveland in 1969, are now safe to eat, federal environmental regulators say.

The easing of fish consumption restrictions on the Cuyahoga was lauded Monday by Republican Gov. Mike Dewine as an important step toward ultimately delisting the river altogether as an area of concern. Seven impairments remain to be addressed before that can happen.

“This is an example of the progress that can be achieved when you collaborate and dedicate resources to improving the quality of water in our state,” Dewine said in a statement.

The announcement came as Dewine is pushing a state budget that includes nearly $1 billion for water quality projects aimed at cleaning up toxic algae in Lake Erie and protecting other lakes and rivers in the state.

The Cuyahoga River was already one of the most polluted rivers in the country at the time of the fire on June 22, 1969, close to where the river empties into Lake Erie, according to the Ohio History Connection.

The 1969 fire on the river, where industrial waste and sewage were regularly dumped, drew national media attention that made it an instant poster child for water pollution at a time when the country was becoming more environmentally aware.