fect target for all the huge lawsuits that followed.Another important legal concept involved in this case is the slippery slope idea. This is an important motivator for government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to regulate pollutants and force companies in violation to clean up their act. This concept basically says if you give an inch they take a mile. It is important to go after large companies and make sure they are following the rules and clean up their messes so that they don’t become environmental pigs dumping tuns of chemicals into our fragile environment.After years of litigation Occidental finally paid the government 129 million dollars for cleanup of the Love Canal sight. They paid 102 million into the superfund and 27 million to the federal government on behalf of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This was in compensation for the money the government spent in declaring Love Canal a state of emergency. One legal loophole that is not widely publicized is that for the money put into the superfund by Occidental 64.5 million could be given back to them in the form of a tax credit. This involves legal maneuvering to get Occidental to settle the case removing a lot of political stress. And the government will get some money to help the clean up. Throughout this case there was a lot of legal maneuvering as well as political pressure put on the legal system. It was an emotionally charged case with multiple parties responsible for the love canal disaster but at the time the dangers were not as clear as they are now. It’s a lot easier to look back and criticize than it is to make the best decisions as one goes along. Regulatory agencies like the EPA and FEMA are so important in protecting Americans from companies in violation of environmental laws. ...
