Today, “Love Canal” is synonymous with the struggle for environmental health and justice. But in 1972, when Lois Gibbs moved there with her husband and new baby, it was simply a modest neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York. How did this community become the poster child for toxic disasters? How did Gibbs and her neighbors start a national movement that continues to this day? What do their efforts teach us about current environmental health threats and how to prevent them? Love Canal is Gibbs’ original account of the landmark case, now updated with insights gained over three decades.

Love Canal--a community poisoned by toxic waste. Borrowing the multi-viewpoint technique of the classic Japanese film RASHOMON, sociologist/engineer Allan Mazur reveals that there are many--often conflicting--versions of what occurred at Love Canal. His collection of gripping personal tales tells how politics, journalism, and epidemiology often clash, when confronting a potential community disaster.

Historical snapshots of the Love Canal area -- Gender at Love Canal -- Race at Love Canal -- Class at Love Canal -- Historical implications of gender, race, and class at Love Canal