Stuff You Should Know Love Canal: Even Dirtier Than It Sounds
Mar 26, 2024
Discover the shocking history of Love Canal, a toxic waste site that became a public health crisis. Learn about the failed vision of a model city at Niagara Falls, which morphed into a hazardous dumping ground. Delve into the controversial building of a school on contaminated land and the dire implications for community health. Follow grassroots activist Lois Gibbs as she rallies residents for safety and justice against systemic neglect. Explore the health impacts, legal battles, and the resilience of a community fighting for their lives.
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Love's Failed Vision
- William T. Love envisioned a model city near Niagara Falls, powered by a man-made waterfall.
- Economic hardship and Tesla's invention of long-distance electricity transmission thwarted his plans.
Hooker's Toxic Dump
- Hooker Chemical Company bought Love's abandoned canal, using it as a toxic waste dump.
- They buried approximately 22,000 tons of chemical waste there over nine years.
A School on a Toxic Dump
- The city of Niagara Falls bought the land from Hooker for $1, despite warnings about the waste.
- They then built the 99th Street School directly on top of the toxic landfill.