LoveCanal

=The Love Canal Debate=

Love Canal, New York, began in 1892 when William T. Love proposed digging a canal to connect the upper and lower parts of the Niagara River. The canal was never completed. However, from 1920-1953, the canal was used to dump hazardous wastes. In 1953, the canal area was covered with dirt and presumed safe. When area residents started reporting health problems, officials began to investigate the dumping of the hazardous wastes. They decided that Love Canal was a health hazard and evacuated the area. Since that time, Superfund has been set up to clean up the waste site. As a result, in the early 1990's, people began moving back into Love Canal. Many of the homes have been renovated and resold to new citizens at much lower rates than in other surrounding communities. People are gradually moving back into the area.

Resources
[|The Love Canal Debate] This WebQuest is about a situation involving the dumping of hazardous wastes at Love Canal, New York. This is an interdisciplinary activity, which includes Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts. The activity is appropriate for upper elementary through high school.