Environmental Issues at the Turn

of the Century
Morgan Beck
Rise of Industrial America
- Cities grew by outrageous numbers
- Townships migrated to cities
- Mass transit + commuters
- Housing
Air Pollution
What caused air pollution?
- Large scale use of coal sparked by the
industrial revolution

- Created a thick smog

- Acid rain (first discovered in the

1850s)

- Health impacts

The smog released from the factories

Clean Air Act - 1963
“Comprehensive federal law that
regulates air emissions from
stationary and mobile sources.
Among other things, this law
authorizes EPA to establish
National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) to protect
public health and public welfare
and to regulate emissions of
hazardous air pollutants.”
Waste
What factors contributed to the waste problem?
- Improper disposal of human and industrial waste

- Factories released pollutants directly into rivers and streams

- Human and animal feces were dumped into the streets

Streets of NY
The Clean Water Act - 1972
“Establishes the basic structure for
regulating discharges of pollutants into
the waters of the United States and
regulating quality standards for surface
waters.”

https://minystories.wordpress.com/20
12/12/01/histories-of-waste/
Work Cited
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