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Reuters Man Who Lives Along Fenced Off Area of Former Love Canal Neighborhood in Niagara Falls

Date: 25-Jul-03
Country: USA
Author: MS/HB

Man Who Lives Along Fenced Off Area of Former Love Canal Neighborhood in Niagara Falls Photo: MIKE SEGAR
Photo: MIKE SEGAR

Twenty five years ago, Love Canal was America's most notorious toxic dump, where leaking poisons from waste dumped by the Hooker Chemical Company (now Occidental Chemical) forced thousands to flee their homes and awoke the nation to the dangers of pollution.

The U.S. government eventually declared emergency evacuations of the area in 1978 and 1980, and relocated more than 800 families and reimbursed them for their homes, which were destroyed.

Garrow, who worked for Hooker Chemical for 35 years, declined the government relocation and lives with his son and grandchildren in the home nearest to the former toxic site where thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals are still burried. Picture taken July 18, 2003.

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