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.