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Love Canal beginning
William T. Love started the canal to connect the upper and lower Niagra Falls, providing hydroelectrical power to a model industrial city. -
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William T Love
William is digging for the Love Canal, until he suddenly can't finish the project. -
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Hooker Chemical Company
The Hooker Chemical Company and Plastics Corporation took over the land William Love was digging for the Love Canal, and dumped 20,000 tons of toxic chemicals there. -
Selling the lot.
The Hooker Chemical company sold the canal to the City of Niagra falls Board of Education for only a dollar. Later on that day, they signed a disclaimer that if any damages happenef due to the toxic chemicals buried underground that they were not in any way responsible. The Board of Education automatically started building a school on top of the chemicals and then later built residences on the rest of the land. -
Reported for the first time.
The Niagara Gazette reported for the first time about the landfill under the houses and seeping into the basements. Reports say this may be causing illness and injuries to plant, human, and animal life. -
Government Investigation
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) begins investigating the problems at Love Canal. -
Evacuations
The New York State Health Commissioner, Robert Whalen declares a state of emergency at the Love Canal. They began to evacuate women and children under the age of two. -
President
President Jimmy Carter begins providing financial aid to the 236 families for them to relocate. -
Chemicals
200 chemicals compounds were found as being buried in the canal and then covered up. -
Lawsuits
First lawsuit is filed against the Hooker Chemical Company. -
Cancer
EPA announces that there have been four chemicals suspected of causing cancer in air sampling at the Love Canal. -
Chromosome Damage
EPA announces that after testing 36 residents in the Love Canal that 11 have been found to have chromosome damage. -
Love Canal: National Emergency
President Carter declares Love Canal as a national emergency allowing another 710 families to move.