The Love Canal 2

8/4/2019 The Love Canal 2

1/27

Click to edit Master subtitle style

4/21/12

The Love Canal

BY: GROUP 4


2/27

4/21/12

The Love Canal Incident

Love Canal was one of the worstenvironmental disasters that United States

has ever experienced. It occurred becausecertain individuals were more concernedabout money and politics than with thevalue of human life. Love Canal is anexample of how average citizens can standup for their rights, their lives, and takeothers responsible for their actions.


3/27

4/21/12


4/27

4/21/12

Summary of key terms andpersons involved

William T. Love - envisioned a canalconnecting the Niagara River to Lake

Ontario.


5/27

4/21/12


Hooker Chemical Corporation - asubsidiary of Occidental Petroleum, utilized

the abandoned canal diggings as a toxicwaste dump.


6/27

4/21/12


Carcinogens - A carcinogen is anysubstance, radionuclide, or radiation that

is an agent directly involved incausing cancer.


7/27

4/21/12


Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins - Act asenvironmental pollutants. They are

commonly referred to as dioxins


8/27

4/21/12


Benzene - a natural constituent of crudeoil, and is one of the most

basic petrochemicals.


9/27

4/21/12


93rd Street original site plan for theschool

99th Street School relocation site aftertoxic wastes was discovered in 93rd street.


10/27

4/21/12


Comprehensive EnvironmentalResponse, Compensation, and Liability

Act (CERCLA), or the Superfund Act -An act to provide for liability,compensation, cleanup, and emergencyresponse for hazardous substancesreleased into the environment and thecleanup of inactive hazardous wastedisposal sites.


11/27

4/21/12


Environmental Protection agency- isan agency of the federal government of

the United States charged with protectinghuman health and the environment, bywriting and enforcing regulations based onlaws passed by Congress.


12/27

4/21/12 The Story

Love Canal began with a partially dugcanal, owned by William Love. Mr. Love

then sold the canal to Hooker ChemicalCorporation in 1947. Hooker used thecanal to dispose of the companys chemicalwaste. In an eleven-year period, Hookerand the U.S. government dumped a totalof 22,000 tons of chemicals into the canal.


13/27

4/21/12


14/27

4/21/12 The Story

The canal was sold to the Niagara SchoolBoard in 1954 for a symbolic dollar. An

elementary school was then constructedover the hazardous waste site. Duringconstruction of this school, the City mademany mistakes that allowed the chemicalsto migrate to clean areas. New residentsbegan to move into the neighbourhoodsadjacent to the newly constructed school.

Once the children began attending theschool they became ill.


15/27

4/21/12


16/27

4/21/12


17/27

4/21/12 The Story

At first, scientific studies did notconclusively prove that thechemicals were responsible for theresidents' illnesses, and scientistswere divided on the issue, eventhough eleven known or suspectedcarcinogens had been identified,one of the most prevalent beingbenzene. There was also dioxin(polychlorinated dibenzodioxins) inthe water, a very hazardous

substance. Dioxin pollution is


18/27

4/21/12 The Story

Women who became pregnant in LoveCanal had miscarriages or gave birth to

children with birth defects. Many illnessesexisted in the area because of directcontact with the chemicals or prolongedexposure to the chemical fumes.


19/27

4/21/12


20/27

4/21/12


21/27

4/21/12 The Story

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter declaredLove Canal a health disaster area because

of an EPA chromosome breakage test. Thegovernment relocated all of the residents.More than $200 million were spent on thecleanup. Superfund laws were written toensure that the Love Canal disaster willnot happen again.


22/27

4/21/12


23/27

4/21/12


24/27

4/21/12 Aftermath

Today, houses in the residential areas onthe east and west sides of the canal have

been demolished. All that remains on thewest side are abandoned residentialstreets. Some older east side residents,whose houses stand alone in the

demolished neighbourhood, chose to stay.It was estimated that less than 90 of theoriginal 900 families opted to remain. They

were willing to remain as long as theywere guaranteed that their homes were ina relatively safe area. On June 4, 1980,the Love Canal Area Revitalization Agency

(LCARA) was founded to restore the area.


25/27

4/21/12


26/27

4/21/12 Conclusion

Love Canal must never be allowed tohappen again. Generations of people will

suffer because a state wanted to savemoney by buying a cheap piece ofproperty and would not relocate its citizensin a time of danger. The genetic mutations

the chemicals have caused will be passedon in these families indefinitely. Forexample, one woman now has five

grandchildren each one has a birthdefect because of the chemicals. Theeffects of the residents chemical exposurecontinue on generation after generation.

States must not allow hazardous waste to


27/27

4/21/12

Documents

The Love Canal 2