Friday, May 21, 2010

Who was the developer of the area called the "Love Canal" in Niagara Falls, NY?

I know Love bought the land to turn it into a canal and then the Hooker Chemical company purchased it from him and then they sold it, but who did they sell it to that built the community?

Who was the developer of the area called the "Love Canal" in Niagara Falls, NY?
Houses were built on the site after Hooker chemical sold the property to the Niagara Falls Board of Education (NFBE).
Reply:In 1952, Hooker was approached by the School Board which wanted to buy a part of the Love Canal property (the Central Section where no dumping had occurred, as yet) in order to build a new grade school. At first Hooker declined, because it was concerned about liability for the wastes, but within a month it reconsidered and agreed to donate the property, for $1. The conditions on the donation were that the School Board take the entire property, indemnify Hooker for any claims, and continue to allow dumping until the school was built. Hooker advised the School Board that Love Canal was used "for plant refuse containing some chemicals," that the Central Section of the property was appropriate for a school, and that the rest of the property was appropriate for playgrounds. Actually, Hooker knew that approximately 22,000 tons of toxic chemical wastes were dumped at Love Canal. Hooker never warned the School Board of the dangers from subsidence of the ground.


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