Love Canal

Introduction

This blog will give you an introduction to Love Canal and the tragedy that occured in our own "backyard" of Niagara Falls, NY. Each post gives you information to read and view. Please follow the directions within each post starting from this post and continuing down the page. The last post on the blog provides you with additional resources that you may find helpful.



**Note- the three videos that are posted will take approximately 40 minutes to view. Please plan accordingly.

Ethical Decision Making

Please follow this link to a website discussing Ethical Decision Making. Please read this entire page. You will need this information for our in-class work.

View this photo

This photo depicts just one of the abandoned houses in the Love Canal neighborhood.

Love Canal Timeline

Please click here to view a timeline of Love Canal events.

View this photo

While viewing this photo, please think about the following situation:

You are a homeowner and have recently heard breaking news that the area in which you are living is contaminated with chemicals which may be harmful to the health of you and your family memebers. It is suggested that you move out of the area, however, everyone is aware of the situation and you will not be able to sell your property, therefore, you have no where to go. What do you do now?

View this picture

While viewing this picture, please think about:

In certain situations, people willingly expose themselves to specific chemicals, knowing the harmful effects they could have on their health. In the Love Canal situation, numerous people were involuntarily exposed to these chemicals which resulted in harmful effects on the health of themselves and their family members.

Lois Gibbs Video- Part 1

Please watch this video of Lois Gibbs. While watching the video, please think about the following:
In your opinion, should residents of the Love Canal area been contacted about the chemicals found before the story was released in the Niagara Gazette?
If Michael was your child what would you have done?

Lois Gibbs Video Part 2

Please watch this video of Lois Gibbs. While watching the video, please think about the following:
As a Love Canal resident, would you have been compelled to join the Homeowner's Association?
Imagine a neighborhood where children's clothes catch on fire from something as innocent as collecting rocks.

Lois Gibbs Video- Part 3

Please watch this video of Lois Gibbs. While watching the video, please think about the following:

• Think about how wind may cause problems in Love Canal.
• Why were there different issues at different places in Love Canal?
• Is it illegal to poison people in America?
  

Group Assignments- Business Owners

Please read the following articles based on your group role for the lesson:

While reading the following articles, please place yourself in the role of a business owner, who would like to maximize the usage of the Love Canal area which has recently been declared "safe".

The following link is an article from The New York Times in 1893, about the original plans for the Love Canal area by Mr. William T. Love.
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9D04E6DA1031E033A25752C3A9639C94629ED7CF


The following link is from the EPA, stating what has occured in the areas of contamination and clean-up efforts at the Love Canal area, and also stating specific areas that are safe for use.
http://www.epa.gov/region2/superfund/npl/0201290c.pdf


The following link is a newsletter article on the Love Canal Home Sales.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/ee/Epalib/nwlet.nsf/5bfac9471e9909f685256c2c0057e066/39e2f07e02cbccc4852564e100035acf!OpenDocument

Group Assignments- Environmentalists

Please read the following articles based on your group role for the lesson:

This is a link that includes information about the environmental and health effects of chemicals in the Love Canal area. Please read the article and bring a hard copy to class.
http://www.health.state.ny.us/environmental/investigations/love_canal/lctimbmb.htm
After reading the article, write down several ways the chemicals buried in the area affected both the environment and quality of life for people in the neighborhood. You will use this information to persuade others not to rebuild in the area.

Group Assignments- Citizen Group

Please read the following articles based on your group role for the lesson:

This is a Newsweek article from 1990 discussing the "Return to Love Canal."
http://www.newsweek.com/id/127902

This is a CNN article from 1998 that also discusses the return of citizens to the Love Canal area.
http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/07/love.canal/

Based on everything you have learned about Love Canal and people moving back to the former Love Canal area, please reflect on the first two parts of Ethical Decision Making. They are to help recognize an Ethical Issue:

1. Is there something wrong personally, interpersonally, or socially? Could the conflict, the situation, or the decision be damaging to people or to the community?
2. Does the issue go beyond legal or institutional concerns? What does it do to people, who have dignity, rights, and hopes for a better life together?

Is the rebuilding and return of homeowners to Love Canal an Ethical Issue? Use what you have read as well as your prior knowledge to answer this question. Please post a response to this question by Monday, April 20th at 9p.m. You should post the response under the comments for this blog post.