The Environment and Natural Resources from 1968 to 1980 (College Board AP® US History): Exam Questions

"The water was nearly always covered in oil slicks, and it bubbled like a deadly stew. Sometimes rats floated by, their corpses so bloated they were practically the size of dogs. It was disturbing, but it was also just one of the realities of the city. For more than a century, the Cuyahoga River had been prime real estate for various manufacturing companies. Everyone knew it was polluted, but pollution meant industry was thriving, the economy was booming, and everyone had jobs."

Lorraine Boissoneault, The Cuyahoga River Caught Fire at Least a Dozen Times, but No One Cared Until 1969, Smithsonian Magazine, June 19, 2019

Which of the following most directly led to the conditions described in the excerpt?

"The water was nearly always covered in oil slicks, and it bubbled like a deadly stew. Sometimes rats floated by, their corpses so bloated they were practically the size of dogs. It was disturbing, but it was also just one of the realities of the city. For more than a century, the Cuyahoga River had been prime real estate for various manufacturing companies. Everyone knew it was polluted, but pollution meant industry was thriving, the economy was booming, and everyone had jobs."

Lorraine Boissoneault, The Cuyahoga River Caught Fire at Least a Dozen Times, but No One Cared Until 1969, Smithsonian Magazine, June 19, 2019

Which of the following legislative actions was most directly influenced by events like the pollution described in the excerpt?

"The water was nearly always covered in oil slicks, and it bubbled like a deadly stew. Sometimes rats floated by, their corpses so bloated they were practically the size of dogs. It was disturbing, but it was also just one of the realities of the city. For more than a century, the Cuyahoga River had been prime real estate for various manufacturing companies. Everyone knew it was polluted, but pollution meant industry was thriving, the economy was booming, and everyone had jobs."

Lorraine Boissoneault, The Cuyahoga River Caught Fire at Least a Dozen Times, but No One Cared Until 1969, Smithsonian Magazine, June 19, 2019

Which of the following best describes a long-term effect of the environmental crisis described in the excerpt?