The Love Canal is a sad story of what happens when companies and corporations are allowed to do what they please. In 1947, Hooker Electrochemical Company used the Love Canal to dump 21,800 tons of chemicals. In 1953, the company sold the canal to the Niagara School Board for one dollar. The deed acknowledged the buried chemicals but stated nothing about type or toxicity.
After its sale, the Love Canal was sealed with a clay cap to prevent water from disturbing the chemicals. Soon there was a fifteen-acre field, with a school on the way. By 1955, 400 elementary students began attending classes and playing on the field.
Residents began to complain about problems as early as 1958, it was not until the early 1970s that the problem became more prevalent. It was only until abnormally heavy rainfall struck that the problem grew worse. A portion of the schoolyard collapsed and strange substances began leaking into basements and gardens.
By then, a wave of problems hit all at once. Toxins were found in storm sewers and basements, exposed chemical drums leaked substances and air tests indicated dangerously high chemical levels in homes. Further tests would later reveal that twelve carcinogens were present on site. Carcinogens are defined as a chemical that causes cancer. The only closure that the mortified residents would receive was that Occidental Petroleum, the parent company of Hooker Electrochemical Company, was fined $20,000,000 for their heinous crimes against the residents.
Love Canal:
Sources: Hudson, David. The Handy History Answer Book. Canton, MI, Visible Ink Press, 2013
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