Schools of fish, birds, and smaller marine organisms vanished in the wake of solid waste matter and oxygen-depleting pollution in the water. Normally bluish-green, relatively transparent 30-feet deep harbor water had been turned murky and brown.

Periodically, Boston built and upgraded plants specifically for treating sewage.

After several years of use, however, each of these cleanup projects ultimately failed to keep up with the area's growing population, the most notable failure being the Nut Island treatment plant in Quincy during the 1980's, which ultimately resulted in a lawsuit against the city of Boston.

Their Day in Court

While Boston began work toward compliance with the Clean Water Act, the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) repeatedly applied for waivers from the EPA, under a clause stating that coastal communities whose pollution did no environmental harm could obtain exemptions from the act.

A series of legal battles and a mandate from the federal courts, however, finally forced the city into action.

By 1982, unlawful sewage discharges related to the Quincy plant had grown so bad that the city of Quincy filed suit against the MDC, which had been responsible for Boston's wastewater treatment and disposal.

In 1983, the EPA rejected the MDC's waiver application, disputing the commission's scientific claims. It would do so again in 1985.