American Experience presents “Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal,” a powerful documentary examining the 1970s Love Canal disaster and the women who fought for justice, leading to the creation of the federal Superfund program.
The film, premiering on PBS on April 22, 2024, offers a piercing look at one of the largest and most impactful environmental crises in American history. The story unfolds like a mystery, beginning in 1977 when residents of a small neighborhood on the east side of Niagara Falls noticed pungent odors in their homes.
Love Canal, a working-class neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, was built on top of a former chemical waste dump. As toxic substances leaked into the environment, residents’ health began to deteriorate, with abnormally high rates of cancer, asthma, kidney disease, miscarriage, birth defects, migraines, and more.
The battle for justice was led predominantly by women, including housewife-turned-advocate Lois Gibbs and biologist and cancer researcher Beverly Paigen. Their work, initially dismissed as “useless housewife data,” created a grassroots movement that galvanized the landmark Superfund Bill.
American Experience’s “Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal” airs on PBS at 9:00 p.m. on Monday, April 22, 2024.
