Fish in river that famously caught fire now OK’d for dinner

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Federal environmental regulators say fish living in an Ohio river that became synonymous with pollution when it caught fire in 1969 are now safe to eat.

The easing of fish consumption restrictions on the Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH’-guh) River in northeast Ohio was lauded Monday by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine as progress achieved by investing in water quality.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agreed with the Ohio EPA’s recommendation that restrictions on fish consumption be eased from Gorge Dam, near Akron, to Lake Erie in Cleveland. State regulators proposed the change last year based on improvements observed through fish tissue sampling.

The state said Monday that removing fish consumption restrictions moves Ohio closer to its goal of delisting the Cuyahoga River altogether as an area of concern. Seven impairments remain.