LOVE CANAL: A STUDY OF IRRESPONSIBILITY, STUPIDITY, GREED & POLITICS

Mirex, P.C.B.s, Dioxins, Benzene, Toluene, Trichloroethylene and Lindane. These are but a small sample of the chemical wastes in and around homes in the Love Canal. Oh and of course in and around the 99th Street School where children spent their days. Elmira has also been blessed with most of these chemicals and certainly not just on the Uniroyal/Chemtura site.

I have long wondered about the "cleanup" that was done at Love Canal. I've heard that there was a certain amount of hydraulic containment (pump & treat) as well as a tile drainage system installed by Conestoga Rovers. It turns out that there was at least some limited excavation and physical removal of toxic wastes. Unfortunately at least part of the physical removal entailed reburying of the toxic wastes at another landfill about four miles away from Love Canal. Oh and again beside a residential subdivision.

Meanwhile after finally evacuating the entire neighbourhood can you believe that in order to recoup some of the costs involved, resettlement occurred? The actual former dump remained fenced off but abandoned homes were refurbished and renamed as Black Creek Village in the 1990s. You guesed it residents there are now experiencing health issues and are suing. The lawsuits allege that Love Canal was never properly remediated and toxins continue to leach onto residents' properties.

After all the negative publicity received by chemical companies, government bureaucrats and politicians is it possible that once the Love Canal residents were moved out that they cheaped out on the cleanup? Well if Elmira, Ontario is any example that is most likely exactly what happened.