New York, USA. 22nd Apr, 2015. Donning his protective wetsuit, clean water activist Christopher Swain swims in the fetid waters of the polluted Gownus Canal in Brooklyn in New York on Earth Day, April 22, 2015. Swain's swim, swimming about a third of the canal, was to call attention for an accelerated cleanup of the waterway. The Gowanus Canal, which was completed in the late 1860's to facilitate industry along it's banks, became increasingly polluted until a pumping station was constructed at one end in the early 20th century to "flush" out the canal. Credit: Richard Levine/Alamy Live News
Donning his protective wetsuit, clean water activist Christopher Swain swims in the fetid waters of the polluted Gownus Canal in Brooklyn in New York on Earth Day, April 22, 2015. Swain's swim, swimming about a third of the canal, was to call attention for an accelerated cleanup of the waterway. The Gowanus Canal, which was completed in the late 1860's to facilitate industry along it's banks, became increasingly polluted until a pumping station was constructed at one end in the early 20th century to "flush" out the canal. In the 1970's the station broke down and was not repaired until 1999 and life is slowing coming back to the brackish polluted waters. The relative cleanliness of the canal combined with a robust real estate market has produced plans for residences, cafes and retail along the waterway. (© Richard B. Levine)
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