Love Canal Disaster: the Tragedy of Buried Secrets and Mishandled Toxic Chemicals
A cautionary tale of corporate negligence.
Introduction:
In 1977, a blizzard passed through Love Canal in the city of Niagara, New York. The aftermath of melting snow brought a shocking discovery to the entirety of the United States—20,000 tons of hazardous chemicals were buried beneath the residents of Niagara.
Background:
The origins of this crisis date back to 1894 when William T. Love began a simple project of building a canal between the upper and lower areas of Niagara. This would provide cheaper hydroelectric resources for those in the city. But the unfinished project was abandoned after the hydroelectric power was deemed unnecessary [1]. Decades later, in the 1940’s, the American firm Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation purchased the deserted site. Over the span of a decade, 20,000 tons of toxic chemicals were dumped in the Love Canal. The situation worsened, however, when on May 7th, 1953, the toxic canal was sold to the Niagara Board of Education. The 99th Street School was quickly built following the purchase [2].
Not long after, the Office of Public Health issued an alarming report to the governor of New York on the Love Canal Crisis; “The Love Canal problem began to surface in recent years as chemical odors in the basements of the homes bordering the site became more noticeable. This followed prolonged heavy rains and one of the worst blizzards ever to hit this section of the country” [3]. Residents reported health issues as poisonous chemicals resurfaced, bubbling up in people’s basements. Subsequent studies showed widespread miscarriages, stillborns, and chromosome abnormalities [4].
A study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that showed evident chromosome defects was leaked and locals were enraged. Tensions between the EPA and residents climaxed when two EPA representatives were held in the town of Niagara because the agency claimed that the Love Canal was safe; Lois Gibbs, a resident claimed that if Love Canal was safe enough, the two EPA representatives should have no problem staying there [5]. Finally, in August 1978, Jimmy Carter declared the Love Canal area a health emergency and ordered the government to relocate hundreds of families [6]. A lawsuit against Hooker Chemical was created and after a tough legal battle, locals of Love Canal received a $20 million settlement.
The Love Canal Tragedy offered a key learning. In the words of a report written to the New York Governor from the Department of Health, “the lessons we are learning from this modern-day disaster should serve as a warning for governments …to take steps to avoid a repetition of these tragic events…We must improve our technological capabilities…for those seemingly innocuous situations which may portend the beginning of an environmental nightmare.”
The Superfund Law:
To demonstrate growth from the Love Canal, the federal government took action to prevent future waste tragedies. The Superfund Law was a new piece of legislation and program that was launched in 1980 to clean up toxic waste primarily in dump sites. Summarized by correspondent of Wall Street Journal, Robert Taylor, the law hoped “to fill in a major gap in environmental protection that came to light in the mid-1970s. It's…a program where the federal government tries to get the companies responsible for these sites, to clean them up on their own initiative and with their own money” [7]. The Superfund Law, born out of the Love Canal tragedy, creates a safer environment for future generations, taking a major step toward protecting both the environment and public health..
Conclusion:
Love Canal remains an infamous symbol of the consequences of mishandling toxic waste. However, its legacy lives on through the Superfund Act, which continues to clean up sites nationwide, actively making a change and keeping the public safe. Today, New Jersey has the largest number of Superfund sites in the country, with around 115 active locations [8]. A possible explanation for this could be the amount of commercial waste left behind from the Industrial Revolution [9]. It is crucial for residents to be aware of any possible Superfund sites nearby, as they may pose health risks.
Key takeaways:
20,000 tons of hazardous chemicals were found beneath the neighborhood of Love Canal, New York
The government created the Superfund Law which is a piece of legislation that cleans up toxic sites to this day
There are 115 superfund sites in New Jersey alone
Sources:
[1] Love Canal Site and Colvin Ave Sewer Repairs
[3] Love Canal - Public Health Time Bomb
[4] Caution Urged on Data From Love Canal: News Analysis Love Canal
[5] The Love Canal Disaster: Toxic Waste in the Neighborhood | Retro Report | The New York Times
[6] Superfund Site: LOVE CANAL NIAGARA FALLS, NY
[7] Superfund Bill | C-SPAN.org
[8] National Priorities List (NPL) Sites - by State
[9] NJ has the most Superfund sites in the country. What to know if you live near one