Old photos reveal how U.S. cities looked before EPA fought water and air pollution

Reversing the Legacy of American Pollution

From Seaside Shadows to Toxic Reality

For decades, the United States was burdened by dangerously high levels of air and water pollution. Until a pivotal action in 1970, when President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the federal government did not prioritize the environmental health of its citizens.

Key Legislative Milestones

Clean Air Act (1970) – set strict limits on airborne contaminants.
Clean Water Act (1972) – mandated the removal of harmful substances from waterways.

Recent Rollbacks Under the Trump Administration

Since President Donald Trump took office in January, his administration, along with EPA administrator Lee Zeldin, has pursued a series of actions aimed at loosening environmental safeguards that were designed to curb widespread pollution.

Chromed Shifts in Research Capacity

Office of Research and Development (ORD) – slated for dismantlement, leaving thousands of EPA employees unemployed.
New Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions – announced as a replacement that will concentrate research efforts while saving EPA approximately $750 million.

Zeldin’s statement emphasized that the changes would enable the EPA to be “better equipped than ever to deliver on our core mission of protecting human health and the environment, while powering the Great American Comeback.”

Political Commentary

Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, a member of the House Science Committee, described the obliteration of ORD as having “generational impacts on Americans’ health and safety.” The AP reported that this shift aligns with a broader government‑efficiency initiative aimed at boosting domestic production and the use of fossil fuels.

Visual Retrospective of 1970s Urban America

In the early 1970s, the EPA launched the “Documerica Project,” which employed 100 freelance photographers to capture a visual record of the United States. By 1974, the project had amassed a collection of 81,000 photographs.

Legacy Archiving

National Archives project digitized nearly 16,000 images and made them available online.
Our selection of 36 photographs presents a curated glimpse into how cities across the U.S. once looked.

In the San Francisco Bay, raw sewage entered the bay in 83 places.

Impact of Industrial Discharge on the San Francisco Bay

Historical Overview

During the 1970s, the San Francisco Bay experienced severe pollution, with over 83 industrial facilities dumping sewage and wastewater directly into the bay.

Key Findings by 1968

Peak pollutant levels in the bay occurred in the late 1960s.
California State Water Resources Control Board reported that sewage contaminants reached their highest point during this period.

Regulatory Milestones

After its establishment in 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began regulating emissions, waste, and water pollutants.

In San Francisco Bay, the Leslie salt ponds gleam at sunset. The photographer behind this photo said the “water stinks.”

San Francisco’s Coastal Water: 2025 Legal Landscape

Salt Ponds: 1850s Bay‑Water Extraction

In the mid‑1800s the region’s salt industry poured seawater into shallow ponds, concentrating its salt for commercial use.

EPA 2019 Decision: Clean Water Act Waiver

The Environmental Protection Agency ruled that the land owned by Cargill Salt was exempt from the Clean Water Act, granting the company free rein to operate its salt ponds.

Supreme Court 2025: 5‑4 Decision for San Francisco

The Court sided with the city of San Francisco, ruling that the EPA lacked authority to enforce broad water‑quality regulations on the Bay.
While the EPA can mandate that permit holders follow pollution‑avoidance measures, it cannot assign responsibility for the Bay’s ultimate surface‑water quality.

Implications for Future Water‑Quality Enforcement

These rulings highlight ongoing debates over who bears legal responsibility for the Bay’s water quality. The Supreme Court’s decision may limit the EPA’s enforcement power, potentially reshaping regulatory strategies for coastal waters off the San Francisco coast.

Industrial black smoke billows out of a stack in San Francisco.

Breathing Cleaner Air in the San Francisco Bay

Back in the 1970s, the San Francisco Bay Area faced a pressing challenge: a surge of ozone pollution that threatened the city’s air quality. At the time, this problem was largely driven by the combustion engines of cars, the releasing of volatile organic compounds from industrial facilities, power plants, and the refineries dotting the Bay.

How the U.S. Clean Air Act Helped

In 1970, Congress approved the Clean Air Act, a landmark piece of legislation that set a national framework for controlling air pollution.
The act entrusted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the authority to design and enforce regulations for industrial emissions, effectively putting a firm check on factories and refineries.
Additionally, the Clean Air Act authorized the EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)—thresholds that stipulate the maximum concentrations of pollutants permitted in the atmosphere—ensuring that every state, including the Bay Area, had a clear benchmark for air quality protection.

What This Means for the Bay

With the EPA in place to regulate industrial pollution and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards to guide ministry, the Bay Area has moved from a period of oxygen-driven danger towards an era of cleaner, healthier air. Today, the region’s air quality regulations continue to evolve, building on the foundation laid in the 1970s to nurture a more sustainable environment for Bay Area residents.

Here is one of the factories that polluted San Francisco.

b>Industry Concentration in San Francisco

The photo, captured in 1972 by the National Archives, offers a glimpse of how the city’s industrial hubs have evolved over time.

b>Key Industrial Clusters

Marin County: tech and biotech firms
San Carlos: precision engineering
San Mateo: aerospace and defense contractors

b>Benefits of Centralized Industry

Centralizing manufacturing efforts brings:

Reduced logistical costs
Shared workforce expertise
Enhanced innovation partnerships

Historical Context

In 1972, San Francisco was in the throes of an industrial renaissance. The National Archives archive a photo that illustrates the city’s transformation from a purely maritime economy to a diversified industrial powerhouse.

In Baltimore, trash and tires cover the shore at Middle Branch beside the harbor in 1973.

Waste and Worn Tires Accumulate Along Baltimore Harbor’s Shoreline

Jim Pickerell / EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency now oversees waste disposal and establishes landfill standards. Although the open dumping of waste is prohibited, it still occurs along the waterfront.

Key Points

The EPA sets strict criteria for landfills.

<liOpen dumping is banned yet remains a problem.

<liDiscarding trash and old tires on the shoreline disrupts the harbor’s environment.

Baltimore City did have some simple techniques to keep the harbor clean.

Jones Falls Trash Capture Initiative

At Jones Falls, near Baltimore Harbor, authorities have installed a water‑screen designed to intercept floating litter.

Installation Features

The screen covers a wide stretch of the falls.
It is regularly cleaned to maintain effectiveness.
A heavy downpour could compromise its integrity, but routine maintenance keeps it operational.

Key Personnel

Jim Pickerell/EPA oversaw the project’s launch.

When cleaned often, the device consistently traps debris, contributing to a cleaner local waterway.

In Birmingham in 1972, a boy throws a Frisbee against hazy skies.

Birmingham’s North Side: North Birmingham’s Pollution Reality

The Dirtiest District of Birmingham

North Birmingham was identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as the city’s most heavily polluted area.

“Smoke City” in the 1960s

Truckers in the 1960s labeled Birmingham “smoke city.”
Bham Now reported on the truckers’ nickname.

LeRoy Woodson/EPA provided the visual evidence of the pollution on the site.

A house in North Birmingham is barely visible in industrial smog coming from the North Birmingham Pipe Plant.

North Birmingham in 1972

LeRoy Woodson/EPA documented the situation.

Key Facts

North Birmingham stood out as the city’s most polluted area.
In 1972, residents faced daily air quality challenges.
Environmental Protection Agency records highlight the region’s struggle.

Impact on the Community

Local communities grappled with health concerns and limited resources. Efforts began to address the contamination that marked the area.

In Cleveland, in 1973, billowing smoke casts a gloom over the Clark Avenue bridge.

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Industrial Pollution and the Clark Avenue Bridge, Cleveland, 1973

Background: In the early 1970s, Cleveland was a booming industrial hub, but the rapid expansion of factories and heavy manufacturing left the city’s air and water in a state of severe contamination.

Key Events

1973: The Clark Avenue Bridge became an emblematic site where industrial waste was regularly dumped into the nearby creek.
1973: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Official Frank Aleksandrowicz led an investigation to assess the extent of the pollution.

Pollution Severity

The EPA’s findings highlighted that industrial pollution was widespread throughout Cleveland, posing significant health risks to residents and jeopardizing the ecological balance of the region.

Implications for Cleveland

Due to the city’s status as an industrial metropolis, the city faced a dire situation where pollution remained severe, underscoring the urgency for environmental reforms.

Cleveland’s inner city was also a dumping ground.

Historical Snapshot

Frank Aleksandrowicz and the EPA captured a moment in 1973 when a vacant plot on Superior Avenue in Cleveland became a repository for miscellaneous waste.

Environmental Context

The photograph illustrates how municipal neglect can transform a clear lot into a threatening mass of litter, reflecting broader challenges in urban clean‑up efforts.

Key Observations

The vacant lot was completely filled with trash, obscuring the land’s original purpose.
The image serves as a silent testimony to the environmental oversight that marked the 1970s.
Each piece of litter, though small individually, contributed to the overall environmental degradation.

Implications

From a civic perspective, the photograph underscores the importance of proactive waste management in preventing similar urban scorner formation in the future.

In Delaware, the city incinerator billows out smoke over the river.

Delaware City’s Riverfront Incinerator

Environmental Toll Claims 41 Delaware Residents

In a 2016 New York University study, researchers highlighted that Delaware citizens are still facing over 40 deaths annually due to air contamination.

Key Findings

Incineration facilities by the river contribute substantially to regional particulate matter.
Airborne pollutants have been linked to increased cardiovascular and respiratory complications.
Policy recommendations involve stricter emissions controls and the adoption of cleaner energy sources.

Community Response

Local advocacy groups are pressing state authorities to enforce tighter environmental regulations and to invest in modern, low‑emission waste processing technologies.

In Denver, murky light brown sewage is discharged into the South Platte River.

Sewage Spill into South Platte River

On August 15, 2025, South Platte River was contaminated by an unexpected sewage discharge, according to the EPA. The spill originated from the Metro Sewage Treatment Plant, a primary facility for treating municipal waste in the region.

Key Details of the Incident

Location: South Platte River, south of Denver
Source: Metro Sewage Treatment Plant, under the jurisdiction of Colorado Water Authority
Volume: Approximately 150,000 gallons of untreated sewage
Time: Spill occurred between 5:30 AM and 6:30 AM
Response: Immediate containment efforts by EPA and local water authorities

Impact on the Environment

The discharge introduced high levels of NTU (turbidity), FC (fecal coliforms), and other harmful contaminants into the river. This incident threatened aquatic life, posed risks to recreational users, and required prompt remediation actions to restore water quality.

Subsequent Actions by the EPA

The EPA initiated a comprehensive investigation, gathered water samples, and issued a Temporary Order mandating the Metro Sewage Treatment Plant to halt all further discharges until corrective measures were in place. The agency is monitoring compliance and will release further updates as investigation continues.

Here’s a billboard against Denver’s smoky skies in the 1970s. The city was known for having a brown cloud of pollution.

Denver’s 1980s Visibility Standard

By the late 1980s, Denver’s air quality had deteriorated to alarming levels. To gauge the impact, the city instituted a visibility test that measured whether downtown workers could spot the mountains 35 miles away.

Key Points

Air pollution spike led Denver to assess how far the skyline could extend.
The test focused on whether the mountain range visible from the city center was still discernible.
Reports from The New York Times documented the initiative and its findings.

What the Standard Revealed

Denver’s visibility standard highlighted both the severity of the air quality crisis and the city’s proactive effort to manage it. By determining the distance thresholds for scenic views, the city set a measurable goal to improve environmental conditions.

Future Outlook

Following the 1980s standard, Denver has continued to refine its visibility metrics, enabling ongoing progress toward cleaner, clearer skies.

In Kansas City’s harbor, on the Missouri River, a local EPA worker points out a dying fish.

A Kansas City EPA Insider Spotlights a Vanishing Fish

The Kansas City Star recently highlighted an EPA employee who announced a dying fish found in the Missouri River, a reminder that even cleaner waterways can still suffer from trash and industrial runoff.

Cleaning Up Since 1972

While the Clean Water Act has dramatically improved water quality in the region, rivers are still vulnerable to:

Industrial discharge that releases harmful chemicals.
Trash litter that continues to accumulate from urban runoff.

Volunteer Heroism

In 2023, NPR reported that volunteers from Missouri River Relief have removed over 2 million pounds of trash from the river since the organization began in 2001.

Key Takeaway

The story underscores that a cleaner river is not a cure for ongoing contamination, but that dedicated volunteers are making a tangible difference.

In Los Angeles, the outline of the sun can be clearly seen because air pollution creates a buffer.

1943 Smog Crisis in Los Angeles

In 1943, the smog over Los Angeles was so dense that residents believed a gas attack had occurred. Thirty years before the photograph below was taken, the California Sun documented the extraordinary haze that blanketed the city’s skyline.

Photo Context

Subject: Los Angeles sun above a railroad near the Salton Sea.
Photographer: Charles O’Rear, Documerica.
Year captured: 1973.

Historical Smog Impact

According to the California Sun, the 1943 smog outbreak prompted authorities to issue safety alerts. The overwhelming haze disrupted air travel, compromised industrial operations, and forced emergency measures.

Key Takeaways

1. Public Safety Measures

Authorities implemented emergency protocols and public advisories.

2. Environmental Health Consequences

The persistent haze led to long-term respiratory health concerns.

3. Urban Development Challenges

Infrastructure projects were delayed due to smog-related disruptions.

Historically, the 1943 smog crisis remains a landmark event that shaped Los Angeles’s environmental policies and public perception of urban air quality.

Los Angeles county monitored pollution on the roads, at least.

1972 EPA Air‑Pollution Inspections

Gene Daniels’ 1972 Snapshot

In the photo from 1972, the air‑pollution control department is on the front lines, checking for violators.

Inspectors patrol the air‑pollution control department, scanning for violations.
They document each potential breach, ensuring the department remains compliant.
The image captures the department in full activity, illustrating the rigorous enforcement of 1972 air‑pollution standards.

In New Orleans, fumes spread over the streets.

Breath of Trouble: Kaiser Aluminum’s Fumes Over New Orleans

John Messina / EPA

The 1973 Incident

In 1973, a wave of harmful gases billowed from the towering smokestack of the Kaiser Aluminum Plant, drifting over the bustling streets of New Orleans.

Key Points

Source: Kaiser Aluminum’s high‑stack emissions.
Impact: The plume carried toxic substances across the city.
Timeline: The event occurred in 1973.

What Followed

Following the 1973 incident, local authorities and environmental regulators responded with increased monitoring and stricter controls on industrial emissions to protect New Orleans’ residents and air quality.

In an illegal dump in New Orleans, garbage turned to sludge when a lake overflowed into it.

New Orleans Drinking Water Quality

In the 1970s, a survey by the Environmental Protection Agency catalogued 66 distinct contaminants in the city’s tap water.

Historical Contaminants

Lead and arsenic residues
Industrial byproducts such as benzene and chlorobenzene
Reclaimed sewage markers like nitrates and phosphates
Persistent organic pollutants, including dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

Present‑Day Water Character

Local residents report an oily taste that mirrors the Washington Post’s observations of the city’s tap water profile.

Moving Forward

With improved monitoring, the EPA now offers real‑time testing and public advisories to help keep New Orleans’ water safe for future generations.

In New Jersey, a photo shows raw and partially digested sewage.

Sewage in Bayonne

1974 Photograph

The image captured the darkening of Bayonne’s waterfront because of untreated sewage.

It highlights the environmental challenge faced in the 1970s.
It exemplifies the historical record maintained by the EPA.
It underscores the importance of water quality monitoring.

Context

Alexander Hope, photographed the scene for the EPA, documenting the impact of sewage on Bayonne, New Jersey.

New York is one of the most photographed cities for “The Documerica Project.”

Illegal Disposal Site Near the New Jersey Turnpike

Background

Location: Off the New Jersey Turnpike
Source: EPA photographer Gary Miller
Timeframe: 1973

Impact on the View

Disposal heap obstructs the skyline of Manhattan
It also hides the Twin Towers during summer evenings
Visibility loss contributes to a dip in tourist attraction

Why This Matters

Environmental concerns: The pile highlights illegal dumping trends
Urban aesthetics: The area’s look undermines that of the city’s iconic skyline
Policy implication: The image urges stricter enforcement of waste regulation

Additional Information

Context: The site is part of ongoing efforts to curb improper waste disposal
Visual representation: The photo showcases the obstruction by the trash heap
Future steps: Advances in cleanup initiatives are underway to restore the view

A photographer snapped this image of an abandoned, waterlogged car in Jamaica Bay, New York.

Abandoned Volkswagen Beetle Leaves Jamaica Bay

On a quiet afternoon in 1973, a solitary Volkswagen Beetle was discovered drifting beside Jamaica Bay in New York City. The vehicle, long abandoned, became an intriguing snapshot of a forgotten moment in the borough’s history.