LORAIN, Ohio — The Black River powered Lorain’s industrial economy for generations. But by the 1980s, it had earned a grim distinction: one of the worst “toxic hotspots” in the Great Lakes region.

Since then, major effort has been underway to revitalize the river once known as the “river of fish tumors” – and it’s now just one step away from being removed from the EPA’s toxic hotspot list.

Here’s a look back at what led to the Black River becoming so polluted – and what’s being done to bring it back.

The Early Years: Sewage, disease and industrial expansion

The Black River’s decline began in the late 19th century as Lorain rapidly industrialized. In 1892, the city installed its first sanitary sewer system, which pumped untreated human waste directly into the Black River. Contaminated w

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