Love Canal

WHEN MOST PEOPLE think of Niagara Falls, New York, they picture the beautiful spectacle and one of the world's wonders, that of Niagara Falls. However, many may not think of this awesome sight but instead images of toxic waste and houses that were rumored to glow. Just east of the Falls is the site of the Love Canal and the tragedy that fell on a small community.

In the 1890s, a man named William T. Love bought a small tract of land and dug a short canal between the upper and lower Niagara Rivers. He felt that power could be generated cheaply to fuel the industry and homes that would be developed. Unfortunately, Love's project was never finished and the canal that was supposed to be used as a way for a town to prosper was instead used as a dumping ground for a variety of municipal and industrial wastes.

The City of Niagara Falls started the dumping. In 1920, the canal was sold in a public auction to the municipality for use as a landfill. The U.S. Army was also responsible for dumping chemical warfare material. Hooker Chemical Company started to use the canal for a chemical dump site in 1942 when they negotiated with the city of Niagara Falls to buy the property. During the period 1942–53, Hooker owned the land and was the primary company disposing of its wastes into the canal. At this time, there were no regulations or laws prohibiting such activity. Hooker dumped over 21,800 tons of toxic chemical wastes on the site. Included in these chemicals were benzene hexachloride, chlorobenzenes, and 400,000 pounds of dioxin-contaminated trichlorophenol. All of these chemicals are highly carcinogenic (cancer-causing).

In 1952, the Niagara Falls School Board wanted to buy a part of the Love Canal property in order to build a new grade school so they approached Hooker. The population in Niagara Falls was growing and the local school board was pressuring Hooker to sell the undeveloped land. Hooker felt that it was not wise to build on the land since it was used as a dump site for over 10 years. The school board threatened the use of eminent domain and continued to pressure Hooker to give up the land. Hooker was still against the use of the land and tried to convince the school board that they should avoid building underground facilities of any kind, given the type and amount of chemicals that were disposed of on the property.

After much pressure, Hooker was willing to donate the property for $1, only if several conditions were guaranteed. Hooker wanted the school board to take the entire property and indemnify Hooker from any future claims. The school board refused and Hooker relinquished ownership when there was no other choice, and before the school board invoked eminent domain. Hooker covered the wastes with a protective clay cap and sold the 16-acre parcel for $1. Hooker tried to advise all of the parties involved about the chemicals that were buried on the site and that any building that was to be done should be done without disturbing the site. Parking lots and other above ground facilities would be appropriate, but building a school and houses would not be. In spite of these warnings, the city of Niagara Falls developed the land.

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