The clean up of Love Canal began in 1978 after President Carter declared it a federal emergency. A drainage system was installed to contain the toxic waste and prevent it from migrating. The Love Canal Interagency Task Force helped with the cleanup efforts. By 2004, the EPA had successfully remediated the site and removed it from the Superfund list, making over 260 formerly abandoned homes safe to inhabit again.

1. 1. When did the Clean up at Love Canal begin?
The clean up at Love Canal began the year of 1978 and in 1980 after President Carter
made two federal and environmental emergencies for the site.
2. What was done to cleanup Love Canal?
The clean up at Love Canal consisted of a title drain collection system designed to
contain the wastes and prevent any outward migration of chemical leachate.
3. What groups helped clean up Love Canal?
The group that helped clean up Love Canal was the Love Canal Interagency Task Force.
4. Why is it safe to live in Love Canal?
(NyTimes) The head of the EPA decided that much of the Love Canal is safe from
chemical contamination. It was declared uninhabitable over a decade ago and due to efforts made
by groups to clean up the site. It has cut the chemical contamination down in the area. While the
whole area isn’t completely habitable, over 236 abandoned houses are once again habitable.
Already more than 200 families want to live in the area. The prices of the houses are selling at
$50,000-$60,000. That is 10-15% below market prices.
Environmentalists like Lois Gibbs who tried to overturn decisions made about the
habitability of Love Canal was turned down multiple times. The habitability of Love Canal was
said to meet “all scientific and legal requirements”. Mr. Reilly who headed these studies has said
“The resettlement decision can now be made.””There is no undue health risks to buying homes
and raising children.”
(NyTimes) Houses in Love Canal sell themselves and sell within a day of being put on market.
(EPA) On September 1983, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed the site on the
Superfund program’s National Priorities List (NPL) and began to work with New York State
(NYS) to clean up the site. As a result of the clean up actions, the site “no longer presents a
threat to human health and the environment” “September 2004, the EPA removed the site
from the Superfund program’s NPL”. More than 260 formerly abandoned homes in the affected
area were rehabilitated and sold to new residents, creating a viable new neighborhood.