Timeline of Events at Love Canal

• 1942 -- Hooker Chemical Company begins dumping of chemical wastes at Love Canal
• 1947 -- Hooker Corporation buys the 16-acre dump site
• 1952 -- City of Niagara Falls disposes of municipal wastes at the site
• 1953 -- Hooker Corporation fills the canal and sells the land to Niagara Falls Board of Education
• 1955 -- Elementary school (99th Street) opens
• 1959 -- Chemical seepage into basement is reported
• 1974 -- Surface of dump begins to collapse and barrels of chemicals are exposed
• 1976 -- NYDEC documents widespread contamination of sewers and sumps in the neighborhood
• 1977 --
  • Local reporter begins investigating possible links of contamination to illness
  • City's consultant reports contamination
  • City contacts U.S. Congressman LaFalce
  • Regional USEPA visits site with Congressman LaFalce
• 1978 --
  • USEPA samples air in basements, while NYDEC personnel sample sump pumps and storm sewers
  • Dr. Robert Whalen, NY Commissioner of Health, visits Love Canal and issues an order to country health officials to reduce accessibility to the site and to begin health studies
  • NYSDH officials meet with Love Canal residents to ask for their cooperation in studies
  • New York legislature authorizes health studies
  • NYSDH conducts pilot study
  • New York legislature gives NYDEC full regulatory authority over hazardous wastes in the state
  • Dr. Whalen convenes Blue-Ribbon Panel
  • Dr. Whalen declares health emergency and orders extension of health studies, relocation of women and children living in first and second rings, and closing of 99th Street School
  • Governor Carey appoints Love Canal interagency task force
  • Love Canal Homeowners Association (LCHA) is formed
  • President Carter declares a "state of emergency" and approves emergency financial aid
  • Blood samples are taken from second ring and beyond
  • Access to site is further restricted; remedial plans are developed
  • Paigen and LCHA conduct pilot study
  • NYSDH initiates daily monitoring of the chemical exposure of workers hired to clean the site
  • NYSDH expands study population
  • Blue-Ribbon panel reviews Paigen's preliminary results of wet versus dry homes
  • Axelrod replaces Whalen as State Commissioner of Health
  • NYSDH reevaluates its data on adverse reproductive effects
• 1979 --
  • NYSDH expands study population north of Colvin Boulevard
  • NYSDH reports increased frequencies of adverse reproductive effects for women in wet homes and recommends all pregnant women and children less than two years of age evacuate
  • U.S. Congress holds Joint Hearings on hazardous wastes problem
  • DHEW and USEPA recommend additional studies and minimization of exposure for residents
  • USEPA contracts for a pilot study of chromosomal damage
  • Love Canal Inter-Agency Task Force is dissolved
  • U.S. Justice Department files a lawsuit against Hooker Chemical Corporation
• 1980 --
  • New York State Attorney files a lawsuit against Hooker Corporation and Occidental Petroleum
  • USEPA reports Picciano results
  • LCHA holds two USEPA officials hostage
  • President Carter declares a second federal emergency in the Love Canal area
  • Love Canal Revitalization Agency is created
  • Governor issues an executive order to create a review panel
  • Governor's Panel issues its "Thomas Report" on health studies
  • CERCLA (Superfund) is enacted
• 1981 --
  • NYSDH publishes results of a study of cancer rates
  • Federal government closes its on-site office in Niagara Falls
  • CDC initiates cytoxicity study
• 1983 -- Former residents and Occidental settle lawsuits
• 1984 -- New clay cap is installed over canal
• 1985 -- Some former residents receive compensation from settled lawsuits
• 1987 -- USEPA decides to burn soil contaminated with dioxin
• 1988 -- Occidental Petroleum Company is found liable for cleanup costs
• 1989 -- Consent agreement is reached between the U.S. government and Occidental