To add to the issue of the many harmful substances being put in the lake by industries, as discussed in my last blog post, the lake and nearby waterways were also subjected to pollution in the form of sewage. The sewage systems of communities in the region of Lake Erie utilized the lake as a dumping ground. And, without today's sewage treatment plants, which extensively treat waste-water before discharging it back into the environment, it did not take long for the lake to become overloaded with bacteria. Throughout the 1960's, it was typical to see local beaches closed due to high levels of bacteria.
The following video contains documented footage from the early 1970's, before the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was signed. At that time, the pollution in the lake and surrounding waterways caused by sewage discharge was a very grave problem.
When learning about the amount of toxins and raw sewage that were put into the lake by these industries and communities, it would seem that the nearby rivers, streams and lakes were viewed solely as resources waiting to be exploited. It's hard to imagine that the people responsible for these industries and sewage systems hadn't thought about the long term or even immediate repercussions that their actions would have on the regions environment.
On the other hand, however, the government was not very involved in the situation concerning Lake Erie, nor was the general public, at least, not until things came to the point where the horrid condition of the lake had become explicitly apparent to those whose saw it. And so, it might not be true that the industries alone are to blame. What would be to blame rather, would be the general belief of the time which was that water could dissolve and dilute any toxic substance rendering harmless, which we know today is false. Admittedly, we now have a much deeper understanding of the great lakes, and the human factors which influence them and their adjacent environments then we did in the 1900's.
Regardless of all of that however, I can't help but feel that it was also ignorance which led industries and local governments to believe that the rivers and lakes could sustain themselves all the while being subjected to a ceaseless discharge of pollutants, harmful to both the environment, and to all of those who rely on said environment. Including the thousands upon thousands of people from both Canada and the United States who use the lake's "fresh" water for everything from drinking, to bathing, to cooking, to watering the garden. For the people of the time to honestly believe without much, if any, doubt that the lake could render any toxic substance harmless seems absurd, even when taking the time period's beliefs and lesser understanding of the lake's environment into consideration.
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| Above is a cartoon, drawn by William (Bill) Roberts. It depicts industrial wastes and raw sewage making their way into Lake Erie from downtown Cleveland, Ohio, followed by a tidal wave of pollution from the lake engulfing the city. |
Sources:
1. http://ohioseagrant.osu.edu/_documents/publications/FS/FS-046%20Lake%20Erie%20water%20quality%20past%20present%20future.pdf
2. http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water4.html
Images:
1. Lake Erie beach http://www.justice.gov/enrd/3377.htm
2. Cleveland cartoon http://csudigitalhumanities.org/exhibits/items/show/846
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