The Tradgedy of the Love Canal

Chemical Disastersby: Sibel Tekmen

"The Most Expensive and Beautiful Park in the World"

• William T. Love came to Niagara Falls, New York in the 1890's

• wanted to create a city, with housing for more than 1 million people

• power city using hydroelectric dams on a 11-kilometer canal between the upper and lower Niagara Rivers

• built a kilometer long pit, part of the canal

Failed Ambitions

• idea of a new city attracted many investors• following year, construction began• factors of failure: fluctuations of the economy scared off investors, discovery of electricity made the canal seem unnecessary, local politicians prohibited the diversion of the two rivers water's altogether

Use of the Pit

• pit remained, and filled with water• swimming in the summer, skating in the river• 1920, sold to the Niagara Falls• used the pit to dump chemical waste• after twenty years, the Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation purchased land for their own chemical disposal

•  1953, pit was virtually full; 22,000 tons of waste

• dangers of chemical wastes were unknown• pit was lined with clay and covered with dirt and was considered safe

• City purchased the land and built an elementary school and homes around it

Effects of the Pit

• strange odors and substances were felt,especially in basements 

• pieces of phosphorous made way to the surface, children were burned in the schoolyard by toxic waste

•  local officials alerted, but no action•  1976, heavy blizzard and rain caused chemical waste to migrate to the surface, contaminated entire neighborhood

•  next year, higher rate of stillborns and miscarriages, many born with birth defects

•  400 types of chemicals in the air, water and soil

• one woman's son was ill, went around neighborhood and found out more were ill too

City Takes Action• 1978, Dr. Robert P. Whalen declared area around the Love Canal hazardous

• land closed, area sectioned off and 200 families were evacuated

•  on August 7, President Jimmy Carter called on the Federal Disaster Assistance Agency for help

•  Hooker Chemical was sued for $11 billion

•  corporation denied its involvement

•  more than 1000 families had been moved out of the area

Positives?

• creation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

• "Superfund" Law• collect taxes from gas and chemical corporations to be used directly to clean up any sites similar to the Love Canal