Ep 17. In Our Water

In Our Water, the seventeenth episode of the first season of Frontline, is a probing and deeply investigative documentary that ponders the dangerous and disquieting issue of water pollution in the United States. The show, which aired on February 16, 1983, lifts the veil on the unregulated and unrestricted dumping of toxic chemicals into America's waterways by chemical manufacturers, oil refineries, and paper mills, and their egregious effects on public health and the environment.

The episode is divided into several segments, each of which examines a different aspect of the water pollution crisis. The first section focuses on the devastation wreaked on the health of the residents of Louisville, Kentucky, by toxic waste dumped by a local chemical company into the Ohio River, which is the primary source of drinking water for the city. The poisoning of the river led to an outbreak of cancers, birth defects, and other illnesses that have devastated the lives of thousands of Louisvillians.

The second segment investigates the contamination of the drinking water of a small town in New Jersey, where a chemical company had buried drums of hazardous waste in a residential neighborhood, with the tacit approval of local authorities. The drums leaked into the town's aquifer, polluting its water supply with benzene, a carcinogenic chemical. The episode highlights the legal and political hurdles faced by residents as they seek redress from the company and the government.

The third section turns the spotlight on a fishing village in Maine, whose lucrative lobster industry was threatened by the discharge of effluents from a pulp and paper mill. The mill, which was owned by a giant conglomerate, dumped millions of gallons of toxic waste into the river, rendering the once-bustling lobster fishery lifeless. The episode chronicles the community's struggles to hold the company accountable and the subsequent legal battles that followed.

The final segment examines the lax regulatory regime that has allowed corporations to dump hazardous waste into the nation's waterways with impunity. The episode highlights the efforts of a handful of senators and activists to push for stricter laws and regulations, including the fledgling Superfund law, which would require polluters to pay for the cleanup of the sites they contaminated.

In Our Water is a searing indictment of the reckless and cavalier attitude of industries towards environmental stewardship. The episode lays bare the human toll of corporate greed, showing how the profits of a few come at the expense of the health and well-being of countless others. It also underscores the importance of investigative journalism and public interest reporting in holding powerful players accountable and pushing for real change.