Black Creek Village (Niagara Falls, New York) | place with historical importance, residential neighbourhood

 place with historical importance, residential neighbourhood

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Consisting of residential homes and parkland, the Black Creek Village neighborhood was established in 1998 following a Federal declaration issued by the Environmental Protection Agency that the area was safe for long-term habitation.

The involvement of the EPA in declaring Black Creek Village safe for habitation was a direct result of the areas location surrounding the former Love Canal and the subsequent Love Canal Landfill, which was used for over thirty years as a dumpsite for organic and inorganic toxic chemical wastes. After being capped and sealed by its owner in the early 1950's, the landfill was sold to the City of Niagara Falls which began residential construction in the area surrounding and directly atop the landfill. This construction caused the cap sealing the landfill to be compromised, and the resultant leaching of chemicals into the surrounding area caused significant health effects among the local population. Following the 1978 declaration of a Federal Emergency in the area, all of the homes which now comprise Black Creek Village were purchased by the US Government and their residents relocated as a precaution against further ill effects from the leaking landfill.

After extensive remediation efforts secured the Love Canal Landfill, a comprehensive testing and monitoring period of over 10 years was conducted in the surrounding area to ensure that there was no further threat to the public, after which contractors were permitted to begin restoration of the homes in Black Creek Village.


Despite toxic history, residents return to Love Canal
August 7, 1998
www.cnn.com/US/9808/07/love.canal/