Between 1942 and 1953, the Hooker Electrochemical Company, now known as Occidental Chemical Corporation, buried about 21,000 tons of hazardous chemicals in an abandoned canal in Niagara Falls, New York. This site later became known as Love Canal. The company used metal drums to dispose of substances like solvents, benzene, pesticides, and dioxin—chemicals that are known to be harmful to human health and the environment. Over time, these chemicals leaked into the surrounding soil and groundwater. In 1953, Hooker sold the land to the Niagara Falls school board for just one dollar. Before the sale, the company covered the 16-acre dump with clay and included a warning in the property deed to avoid future legal responsibility. An elementary school and around 800 homes were later built on or near the site, with a playground even constructed directly over the filled-in canal. The dangers of the contamination became clear in 1976 when heavy rains raised the groundwater level, allowing chemicals to seep into basements and causing metal drums to resurface. In 1977, studies found that 57 percent of homes at the southern end of the canal were affected. Reports also noted a "moderate excess" of spontaneous abortions and low-birth-weight babies, though these findings only showed a statistical correlation, not a proven cause-and-effect relationship with the chemicals. In August 1978, the health commissioner declared a health emergency, closed the 99th Street elementary school, and recommended the temporary evacuation of pregnant women and young children from the area. Local resident Lois Gibbs, a mother worried about her son's health, played a key role in bringing attention to the crisis. She founded the Love Canal Homeowners Association, which organized residents to push for government action. President Jimmy Carter responded by announcing federal funds for the cleanup and directing the federal disaster relief agency to assist the town. He also approved emergency financial assistance that allowed New York State to buy out the homes of 236 families, relocating them at a total cost of $10 million. In May 1980, Carter signed a second emergency declaration, expanding the affected area by an additional 350 acres. The public outcry over Love Canal led to the creation of the Superfund law in 1980. This law required companies responsible for pollution to fund the cleanup of their own sites. Occidental Chemical, which inherited Hooker’s legacy, eventually paid $102 million to the EPA Superfund fund and an additional $27 million for the federal emergency management agency. The cleanup efforts continued until 1999, after which Love Canal was removed from the national priority list in 2004. However, it remains on New York State’s list of inactive hazardous waste disposal sites. The neighborhood was later revitalized and renamed Black Creek Village, with about 260 homes sold as part of the restoration. Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency delegates long-term monitoring of the site to a subsidiary of Occidental Chemical.