Who does not remember Love Canal? It became the object of hysteria. Good government groups organized around it.  Love Canal was a travesty against "the people" by the "polluters".  It was the rallying point to demand government intervention and  regulation of the environment. Love Canal spawned the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA, created by, of, and for the people would save the air, land, and water from plunder by greedy corporations. Love Canal became the first Superfund site.  

See     http://cems.alfred.edu/students98/allansm/Onemoretry.html

That site reports some interesting and damning facts not well known to the public. (emphasis added)

• For the next 30 years, the city of Niagara Falls, the US Army, and Hooker chemical dumped a plethora of toxins, waste, and garbage into the canal.

• The majority of the chemicals were pesticide waste and chemical weapons research (e.g. Manhattan project).

• The city eyed the area for urban expansion. It tried to buy the land from Hooker. Hooker, knowing the city's intent, gave strong warning to the city about the safety of the site. However, the city forced the sale through the use of the constitution's [em]inent domain clause.

• Rita M. Lavelle, head of Superfund, was fired by Reagan in 1983 and served four years in prison for lying about the use of funds at love canal. Three other high ranked EPA officials were forced to resign in connection with the incident. Local officials desire for city expansion and profit resulted in a travesty 25 years later that helped spur the decline of the once prosperous city of Niagara Falls.

• The city politicians, and officials pushed a program overlooking the consequences to the health, safety, and well being of the general public. Personal gain was placed before reason and civil employees responsibility to serve their constituents. Non-engineers acted in a gross manipulation of the constitution. Politicians, against engineers warnings, meddled and laid the seeds for a tremendous disaster. They knew the situation, they acted regardless, and they covered it up for twenty five years. 

After sever hundred million dollars were spent to clean the environment at Love Canal all the pollutants are still there! The area is basically back to the way Hooker Chemical left it. The EPA has decreed Love Canal to be safe for repopulation. It has been "cleaned up". It is now known as Black Creek Village.

The New York State Department of Health says no conclusive evidence exists linking Love Canal to illness, a statement that many Black Creek Village residents agree with.  (From CNN  http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/07/love.canal/ )

The power of your government! 

• Decree a problem exists. 
• Spend vast sums. 
• Accomplish little. 
• Decree the problem solved.    

How does this serve the "public interest"? 

Just whose interest was served by spending all this money?