Tag Archives: city of niagara

This Day in History: Federal Emergency Declared at Love Canal in New York (1978)


Federal Emergency Declared at Love Canal in New York (1978)

In the 1940s and 50s, an abandoned canal in Niagara Falls, New York, became a dumping ground for chemical waste. It was later filled in, and after the land was given to the city of Niagara Falls by the chemical company, houses and an elementary school were built there. By the late 1970s, toxic chemicals had risen to the surface, and residents were found to have a high incidence of chromosome damage. A federal emergency was declared in 1978, and residents were evacuated. What happened to them? More… Discuss