Many say the Fires on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio in the late ‘60s helped ignite the environmental movement that would result in the founding of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1970 and later the Clean Water Act in 1972. CREtelligent’s Fraser Hamilton sheds some light here:
Just over 35 years ago, in June 1969, the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, caught on fire.
Some would argue that this was the event that helped ignite the environmental movement that would result in the founding of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1970 and later the Clean Water Act in 1972.
What happened? Sparks from a passing train set floating oil-soaked industrial detritus ablaze, but the fire only lasted about 30 minutes. In fact, this was one of several times the river caught fire during the late ‘60s. This instance, though, caught the attention of both Time and National Geographic magazines, and some argue it was the Cuyahoga River fires that led to the first Earth Day in April 1970.
Some of CREtelligent’s Akron office staff live in Cleveland and along the shores of Lake Erie. They can attest to the fact that there is no longer a thick blanket of oily waste on the river. In fact, the efforts to clean up the Cuyahoga have resulted in a burgeoning population of bald eagles and great blue herons! All the while there is plenty of industry remaining along the river, from a major steel mill, oil terminals, and a salt mine with its headworks along the river.
Finding the balance between sustainable and responsible land use and the need for raw steel for the automotive industry, stamped aluminum parts for the aircraft industry, and myriad other industries is tough—but it’s doable.
When CREtelligent performs a Phase I ESA we are diligent in assessing risk with what we see. We take the role of a consultant seriously and want to ensure that we identify sources that impact the environment and make sure we properly characterize and explain those concerns and make sure our recommendations are right!
And, keeping our natural resources intact!
Fraser Hamilton, Sr PG EP
Technical Director, Assessment Services
About CREtelligent.com. Commercial Real Estate Due Diligence. Simplified.
Gold River, CA-based CREtelligent opened its doors in 2015 as eScreenLogic, a Commercial Real Estate (CRE) environmental due diligence firm focused on desktop, RSRA, Phase I, and Phase II site assessments. In late 2020, eScreenLogic rebranded to CREtelligent to better reflect the company’s vision. Since then, the company has grown quickly and today provides the full spectrum of property due diligence services to commercial real estate professionals.
Media Contact: Gary Kulik | g.kulik@cretelligent.com
