The Love Canal Tragedy: Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Love Canal is considered one of the most appalling environmental tragedies in American history.
• The incident highlights the potential for environmental disasters to occur elsewhere unless preventative measures are taken.

Background

• William T. Love's Vision:
  • Planned to build a model city powered by a canal connecting the Niagara Rivers.
  • The project failed due to economic issues and advancements in electricity transmission by Nikola Tesla.
• Industrial Use:
  • Canal became a chemical dumpsite in the 1920s.
  • Landfills, if properly managed and regulated, can be safe; Love Canal exemplifies mismanagement.

Development and Disaster

• 1953: Hooker Chemical Company covered the canal with earth and sold it to the city.
• 1950s: Homes and a school were built on the site.
• 1978: Chemical leakage noticed affecting residents' health and property.
• Investigation & Health Impact:
  • Over 82 compounds found, including 11 suspected carcinogens.
  • Birth defects and high white-blood-cell counts detected in the community.

Government Response

• August 1978: Emergency actions begun:
  • New York State Government and President Carter provided financial aid.
  • Over 221 families evacuated; state made home purchase offers.
• Detoxification Efforts:
  • Technical procedures planned, including a trench system to drain chemicals.

Broader Implications

• Nationwide Concern:
  • Hundreds of similar dumpsites suspected across the U.S.
  • Potential environmental time bombs threatening water supplies and ecosystems.
• Chemical Substances:
  • Massive volume of chemicals in commerce; $112 billion sales annually.
  • Growing list of toxic-related environmental disasters.

Legislative and Regulatory Efforts

• EPA Initiatives:
  • Implementation of acts like Clean Air and Water Acts, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
  • Ensuring safe handling and disposal of hazardous wastes.
  • Development of state programs with full assessments of industrial waste sites.

Challenges and Questions

• Liability and Responsibility:
  • Complexity in determining liability due to shifting site ownership.
  • Discussion needed on financial responsibility for past waste disposal.
• Conclusion:
  • Need for intelligent controls and commitment to prevent future tragedies like Love Canal.
  • Recognition of the severe impacts suffered by Love Canal residents.

Eckardt C. Beck was the Administrator of EPA Region 2 from 1977-1979.