Smog over Denver in 1974.
Bill Wunsch/The Denver Post/Getty Images
- Before President Nixon created the EPA in 1970, water and air pollution weren't federally regulated.
- In the 1970s, the EPA enlisted 100 photographers to document environmental conditions in the US.
- The result was 81,000 photos, often filled with smoke, smog, acid, oil, trash, and sewage.
Don't let the soft, sepia tones fool you — the United States used to be dangerously polluted.
Before...