Transcript Love Canal

Love Canal
Jon Averill
George Mina
Love Canal
• New York State
• President Carter declared Federal
Emergency August 1978
• Catalyst for Superfund Legislation
Love Canal
• 1953 Hooker Chemical Company deeded
land to Niagara Falls School
Administration for $1.
• 1960 – 1970’s approx.
– School built in the area
– 1,200 popped up in the area
Love Canal
• 1950’s – 3 children burned by chemicals
• 1960’s – “Fire Rocks”
• 1970’s – Illness and birth defects
– Odors and other issues.
– Thought was “Bad Fortune”
Love Canal
• Lois Gibbs
– Son exposed to harmful chemicals
– Eco-Feminism
– Counter to business cycle.
“The woman who at one time looked down at
people picketing, being arrested, and acting
some what radical are now doing those very
things”
- Investigative Reporter – Michael Brown awareness
Love Canal
• What they found:
– Initially, local leaders denied any problems
– Deeper investigation from Lois Gibbs
• Chemical Dump – in old hydro canal
• Military chemicals –Benzene Agent Orange
Lois Gibbs
• “Citizens Clearinghouse for hazardous
waste” http://www.chej.org/
Warp Up
• Advocate – local – vs. business advocate
• Publicity – investigative reporter
• Emotions