Handcuffed Cop

RON GATTO

Around the world, water supplies face relentless threats from industrial waste, agricultural pollution and poor sewage treatment. The battle to protect water purity must be fought not just by national governments but also in every town and village on the planet.

Even in the U.S., which has some of the toughest environmental laws, safeguarding rivers and reservoirs is a constant struggle. While many companies obey the rules, others still try to use waterways as dump sites. American environmental-enforcement officials have been bombed, shot, run over and sued while trying to perform their duties. But the most demoralizing blows invariably come from...

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