n children in the 239 families that lived here. The incident rate was so high that in 1978 New York State of Health issued a “recommended temporary relocation of ALL pregnant women and children under two” (Gibbs 22). In May of 1980 President Carter declared a health emergency because of the abnormal amounts of chromosomal breakage in the Love Canal residents. In October of the same year the President signed a bill to evacuate all families permanently from Love Canal. He did this not because of adverse pregnancies, chromosome damage or high chemical exposures, but because of mental anguish (Gibbs 23). There is data that has confirmed that children living in this area are 2.5 times as likely to get seizures, 1.5 times as likely of having learning disabilities and 3.0 times as likely of having eye irritations, skin rashes, abdominal pain and hyperactivity disorder. Women in this area are at 100% greater chance of getting lung cancer, while men have a 70% greater risk. These statistics are only a small amount of the medical problems these families faced.The Love Canal now looks like a ghost town with houses boarded up, over-grown gardens and a high chain link fence surrounding the houses nearest the canal. There has been construction done around the canal to try and contain the chemicals. The construction was done to try and prevent water from soaking into the canal and to stop the outward flow of chemicals into the community. “The containment consists of a drainage system consisting of eight-inch perforated clay pipes, laid twelve to fifteen feet deep, encircling the canal to intercept water. The contaminated water then flows into a steel holding tank and is treated on-site by an activated charcoal system. The system is then covered with a clay cap about six feet deep. Top soil and grass was then planted on the cap to finish the project” (Gibbs 24).Federal regulations allow new Love Canals to be built, p...
