River Keepers
The
River Keepers were formed by a group of
Hudson River fishermen, many of whom were
United States Marines and
veterans of
World War II and the
Korean War. Initially they approached government, and then when they got no response considered
vigilante action. However, an obscure statute kept them from becoming a
militant group. Using the
1888 Refuse in Harbors Act they were able to
sue polluters and clean up the Hudson to a substantial degree. The movement spread across the
United States and into
Canada (using some different laws) as the modern
Water Keeper Alliance. It has played a significant role in altering the social and legal status of polluters of fresh water resources in both countries.