Dictionary of Environmental Health
A neighbourhood in Niagara Falls, New York, USA. The name derives from William Love, an entrepreneur who began digging a canal in 1896 in an attempt to connect Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The canal was never completed but the section that was excavated was subsequently used as a chemical byproducts dump between 1942 and 1955.
Once full the land was sold for redevelopment and a school and houses were built on the site. Local residents complained about a range of adverse health events such as birth defects, spontaneous abortions, low birth weight, cancers and respiratory diseases. Eventually, in April 1978, the site was declared to be a threat to health, ultimately leading to the closure of the site. Although not the first or worst incident of its kind, Love Canal received considerable media attention and was a significant milestone in the understanding of the potential threats that can be occasioned to communities from environmental pollution.
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