American Experience

Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal

The dramatic and inspiring story of ordinary women who fought against overwhelming odds for the health and safety of their families. In the late 1970s, residents of Love Canal in Niagara Falls, NY, discovered that their homes, schools, and playgrounds were built on top of a former chemical waste dump. Housewives activated to create a grassroots movement that galvanized the landmark Superfund Bill.

Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal

1h 52m

The dramatic and inspiring story of ordinary women who fought against overwhelming odds for the health and safety of their families. In the late 1970s, residents of Love Canal in Niagara Falls, NY, discovered that their homes, schools, and playgrounds were built on top of a former chemical waste dump. Housewives activated to create a grassroots movement that galvanized the landmark Superfund Bill.

Previews + Extras

  • Trailer | Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Trailer | Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal

    S36 E4 - 2m 34s

    In the late 1970s, residents of Love Canal in Niagara Falls, NY discovered their neighborhood had been built on a former chemical waste dump. Housewives activated to create a grassroots movement that galvanized the landmark Superfund Bill.

  • Fighting Environmental Racism In L.A. County: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Fighting Environmental Racism In L.A. County

    S36 E4 - 4m 40s

    Thousands of Superfund sites have been identified across the United States, many of them located in communities of color and low income communities that face barriers to relocation. We spoke with environmental scientist Lizette Ruiz, a resident of South Gate, California, to learn more about the impact of environmental racism and what it's like living around a Superfund site today.

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