Since Puget Sound's famous King Salmon were put on the endangered species list a decade ago, Washington State has been working to restore their numbers and their habitat. But progress has varied watershed by watershed. In this video, see how the Nisqually River community has achieved significant progress through cooperation among old rivals, while other riversheds have been mired in deadlock and disputes.
How to Clean Up a Superfund Site
The first thing you need to know -- it will take years! In 2001, an industrial stretch of Seattle's Duwamish River was declared a Superfund site, but the big cleanup has yet to begin. Here's more...
Primer: Legacy Pollutants
Some of these chemicals were banned decades ago. Yet they're still building up in our waters and fish. Here's why...
Primer: Stormwater Runoff Pollution
It's one of our biggest pollution problems, but it's poorly understood. And that's because it's largely invisible...
Who's Responsible For That Manure?
Half the pollution flowing into Chesapeake Bay is estimated to come from agriculture. And one concern is chicken farms on the Delmarva Peninsula.
Primer: Development Sprawl
Here's more on the many ways unchecked growth and development harms our waterways and environment...
The Legacy of the First Earth Day, 1970
Back then Americans could smell, see and even touch pollution. The public demand for action exploded and led to the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. So what's changed today?
Endocrine Disruptors: Today's Canary in the Coal Mine?
Evidence accumulates that manmade chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors, are causing abnormal mutations in marine creatures. Does that mean they're having an impact on human health?
Interview: Bill Ruckelshaus
In 1970, he became the first head of the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He served as the agency's leader under President Nixon until 1973 and again under President Reagan from 1983 to 1985.
Interview: Steve Tochko
An environmental remediation manager for Boeing, he works on the company's cleanup of Plant 2 on the Duwamish River in Seattle.
Introduction to the Clean Water Act
The EPA explains what the act is intended to do and how it's been implemented. You can also test your knowledge with a quiz.