Conversation to address environmental reckoning of Love Canal

To hear of Love Canal today is to be reminded of the environmental disaster that began unfolding on the east side of Niagara Falls, N.Y., roughly 50 years ago. The planned community was in fact a betrayal of its idyllic sounding name when it became clear that the neighborhood, which included an elementary school, had been knowingly built on top of a massive toxic waste dump containing more than 20,000 tons of waste that included deadly carcinogens.

Luella Kenny, a mother and research scientist, was among the thousands of Love Canal residents affected by the tragedy. She became part of the small group of displaced residents-turned-activists who worked tirelessly to confront the stonewalling, cover-up and injustice of Love Canal. Their efforts were responsible for spearheading major changes to environmental policy, including creating the Superfund program.

Kenny’s story is central to Keith O’Brien’s acclaimed book, “Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe.” She’ll join the author on April 16 for a spring keynote in Silverman Library in Capen Hall, presented as part of the ongoing exhibit “Toxic Archives: Voices from Love Canal,” a poignantly curated collection of photographs, correspondence and firsthand accounts of the crisis, organized by University Archives.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with open viewing of the exhibition in Silverman Library, with archivists available to discuss the material and answer guests’ questions. The conversation with O’Brien and Kenny will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. in Special Collections, 420 Capen. John Fiege, assistant professor in the Department of Media Study, will moderate the conversation, which will be recorded for later presentation on his Chrysalis podcast.

The event is free and open to the public but guests must register to attend. There will also be a Zoom link provided for those interested in attending remotely.

University Archivist Hope Dunbar says the keynote extends the “Toxic Archives” exhibition into a live conversation that connects archival records with lived memory and provides an opportunity for guests to engage with the personal dimension of the tragedy.

“After Luella Kenny’s young son became gravely ill and later died, she became a steady and deeply informed voice in the community’s fight for answers,” says Dunbar. “Luella brings a direct perspective from someone who lived the crisis day to day.”

Dunbar says Love Canal helped redefine how the country responds to toxic exposure.

“I’m especially interested in hearing how grassroots activism pushed institutions to act and what that still teaches us today,” she says. “We hope people leave with a stronger sense that Love Canal is not just a historic event, but a story happed by ordinary residents whose voices changed public policy.

“The UB Archives preserves the record of Love Canal, but hearing the conversation provides an immediate and deeply human element.”

The keynote and exhibit represent a critical community-involvement role that UB Libraries and University Archives fulfill, according to Dunbar.

“Libraries and archives are not only places that preserve history; they are places where history is actively interpreted and discussed,” she says. “Events like this bring scholarship, archives and community voices into the same room.”