The Love Canal chemical waste dump

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The Love Canal chemical waste dump

• CHEM 4110
• __________________
• Heather Roden
• Ronda Cooper
• Rene Mussell
• Melanie Thomas

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Once a dream. . .

• William Love bought the land
• Niagara Falls, NY
• 36 Blocks
• Economical benefit
• Was not completed because at the time could not
  convert AC ? DC
• Only a portion of the canal was dug

http//civil.engr.siu.edu/301I_Ray/he_love.htm
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Selling the land

• 1920s The land was sold to city of Niagara
  Falls and was used as a landfill
• 1940s Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corporation
  used the land to burry 21,000 tons of toxic waste

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Development of the land

• 1953 Sold back to city of Niagara Falls
• Middle Class
• Marshy land
• Fill material

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The truth comes out

• Early 1970s The area received heavy rainfall
• Resulted in bad odor, oily residue, chemical
  corrosion
• 1979 Louis Gibbs
• Early 80s- The school was closed
• Evacuated

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Lawsuits

• 1994 - Occident Petroleum Co. paid 98 million to
  New York for clean-up and relocation
• 1995 - Paid 129 million to the federal
  government
• 1997 - Paid 20 million to settle a class action
  suit from 1,300 people

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Environmental Effects

• 21,000 tons (42 million lbs) of chemical waste
• Adverse effects on the environment as well as
  human health

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The Chemicals at Love Canal

• At least 248 types have been identified
• Chlorinated hydrocarbons
• Trichloroethane
• Trichloroethylene
• Tetrachloroethene
• Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
• Hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane)
• Methylene chloride
• Polychlorinated biphenyls
• Chloroform

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The Chemicals, cont.

• Benzenes
• Trichloromethyl benzene
• Chlorobenzene
• Chlorotoluene
• Benzene hexachloride
• 1, 3, 7, 8 tetrachlorodibenzo para dioxin
• Metals
• Al, Cu, Pb, Mg, Hg, Ni, Zn

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Hexachlorocyclopentadiene

• HEX
• Used in the manufacture of Mirex and Kepone
• Not a persistent environmental contaminant
• Its tendency to accumulate in aquatic life varies
  greatly from one species to another.

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Lindane

• Hexachlorocyclohexane
• Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP)
• Lindane is highly volatile, pesticide
• Detection of Lindane in animals and birds

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Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

• Do not degrade easily in the environment
• Can travel long
• distances in the air
• or through the water
• Dissolve in water
• Bind strongly to soil
• Can accumulate in fish
• and marine mammals

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Chloroform

• Easily evaporates
• Into air
• Can break down to other chemicals
• Damages plants
• Damages aquatic life

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Benzene

• Precursor to formation of photochemical smog
• Comes from industrial use
• Intermediate
• Used to make different household products
• Can pass into the air from water and soil

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Photochemical Smog
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Dioxin

• Formed during industrial byproduct
• Highest environmental concentrations found in
  soil and sediment

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Health issues caused by the chemicals at the Love
Canal
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Pollutants and People

• People are most often affected by these chemicals
  through
• Inhaling air near hazardous waste sites
• Drinking polluted ground water
• Eating contaminated food
• Physical contact

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Polychlorinated biphenyls (CHCs) and Health
Issues

• Research has shown that exposure to large amounts
  of PCBs affect
• Integument
• Internal organs
• Immune system
• Behavior
• Reproductive system
• Infants

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Benzene and Health Issues

• Research has shown that exposure to large amounts
  of benzene or benzene-containing compounds can
  affect
• Nervous system
• Cardiovascular system
• Digestive system
• Internal organs
• Immune system
• Infants

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Chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (CDDs) and Health
Issues

• Research has shown that exposure to large amounts
  of CDDs can affect
• Integument
• Internal organs
• Endocrine system
• Digestive system
• Immune system
• Reproductive system
• 3 ounces of dioxin can kill over
• one million people
• Over 130 pounds of 1, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p
  ara-dioxin was found at Love Canal

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Heavy Metals and Health Issues

• Some are essential in trace amounts
• Research has shown that exposure to large amounts
  of heavy metals can affect
• Digestive system
• Nervous system
• Can be toxic

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Love Canal Human Health Studies

• NYSDH Pilot Study (1978)
• Paigen-LCHA Study (1978)
• NYSDH Expanded Population Study (1978)
• NYSDH Low Birth Weights Study (1978)
• Paigen Follow-Up Study (1980)
• EPA- Sonsored Cytotoxicity Study (1980)
• NYSDH Cancer Study (1981)
• CDC-Sponsored Cytotoxicity Study (1981)

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Clean up Mechanism of Love Canal Chemical Waste
Dump
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Love Canal Superfund Site

• Superfund Federal government program designed
  to clean up hazardous waste sites that pose a
  threat to human health and environments.
• Environmental Protection Agency works closely
  with communities, potential responsible parties,
  scientists, researchers, contractors, state,
  local, and federal authorities.
• Contract Value 28 million
• Estimated Performance Time 10 years
• Several Steps were taken to clean up the Love
  Canal area

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Steps to a Cleaner Love Canal

• Landfill containment with leachate collection,
  treatment and disposal
• Excavation and interim storage of the sewer and
  creek sediments
• Final treatment and disposal of sewer and creek
  sediments
• Remediation of 93rd Street School soils
• EDA home maintenance and technical assistance
• Buyout of homes and other properties

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Landfill Containment

• Houses and schools near the landfill sites are
  demolished
• Constructed a barrier drain and a leachate
  collection system
• A system for draining liquids out of landfills
• Water gets contaminated by contacting with wastes
  in the soil.
• Water seeps to the bottom of a landfill and is
  collected by a system of pipes.
• The wastes gets accumulated at the bottom and
  then removed and sent to another landfill site
• A clay cap is used to cover and minimize
  rainwater from entering the canal surface to
  prevent chemicals from vaporizing into the air
  and to prevent direct contact with contaminated
  soil.

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Leachate Collection System
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Excavation and Interim Storage

• Sampling of contaminated areas soil
• Drilling equipment used to obtain the soil
• Soil and dirt contaminated with wastes are dug up
  and disposed at an off-site location or treated.

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Final Treatment

• Sewers and creeks are hydraulically cleaned
• An onsite facility is used to dewater and contain
  the sediments.
• Then, a separate facility is constructed to treat
  the dewatered contaminants through high
  temperature thermal construction.
• Final disposal of wastes from soil,creeks,and
  sewers are shipped offsite

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Remediation of 93rd Street Schools

• Three Steps are involved Removal, Containment,
  and On-Site Treatment
• Contaminated soil is removed by digging
• Soil is contained in a solitary location where it
  is will not harm anyone
• Soil is treated by various cleaning methods
  including soil washing
• Clean soil that received treatment is placed
  back in its original location

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93rd Street School
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Home Maintenance Assistance

• The federal government and state of New York
  purchased the affected properties.
• The properties were maintained, rehabilitated,
  and eventually sold to future home owners and
  real estate investors.

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Buyout

• EPA provided 2.5 million in funds for the
  purchase of properties including businesses,
  rental properties, and vacant lots.
• The area could now be re-established.

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A Bright Future

• On September 30, 2004, all clean up work at Love
  Canal had ended.
• Site was removed from the Superfund list of the
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Canal will be monitored carefully on a regular
  basis by the EPA.
• Vacant properties are being developed and new
  homeowners have repopulated the habitable areas.

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New Homes at Love Canal
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Works Cited

• http//www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/0201290c
  .pdf.
• http//www.sevenson.com/capabilities.php3.
• Beck, Eckardt C. . "The Love Canal Tragedy." Jan
  1979. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency . 15
  Nov 2007 nal/01.htm.
• "Love Canal." 09 Nov 1997. 15 Nov 2007
  .
• "Love Canal, An American Tragedy." 19 April 1997.
  15 Nov 2007 _love.htm.
• http//www.dec.state.ak.us/spar/csp/docs/hfp/hfpdi
  oxin_factsh_1_04.pdf