Documentary Revisits the Tragedy at Love Canal
“Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal,” a new documentary from PBS’s American Experience, tells the dramatic and inspiring story of the ordinary women who fought against overwhelming odds for the health and safety of their families. Love Canal was one of the largest and most impactful public health and environmental crises in American history. In the late 1970s, residents of Love Canal, a working-class neighborhood in Niagara Falls, discovered that their homes, schools and playgrounds were built on top of a former chemical waste dump, which was now leaking toxic substances and wreaking havoc on their health.
Be the first to see a 40-minute preview of the film during a special screening event hosted by Buffalo Toronto Public Media. Wednesday, April 10, from 6 to 7:30 pm. The free event includes a live panel discussion featuring American Experience executive producer Cameo George and the film’s director Jamila Ephron. Free parking is available in the BTPM parking lot. Registration is required and more information can be found at wned.org/events or by clicking here.
The battle for justice was led mostly by women, including powerful advocate Lois Gibbs and biologist and cancer researcher Beverly Paigen, whose toxic waste studies were instrumental in getting homeowners resettled.
Through interviews with many of the extraordinary housewives turned activists, the film shows how they challenged those in power, forced America to reckon with the human cost of unregulated industry, and created a grassroots movement that galvanized the landmark Superfund Bill.
Watch the film on Monday, April 22, at 9 pm on WNED PBS.
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About Buffalo Toronto Public Media
Buffalo Toronto Public Media engages with our communities through exploration and entertainment –everywhere. Our member-supported services include WNED PBS, WBFO (NPR) (88.7 in Buffalo, 91.3 in Olean, 88.1 in Jamestown), WNED Classical (94.5 in Buffalo, 89.7 WNJA in Jamestown), WBFO The Bridge (88.7 HD2 and 94.5 HD2 in Buffalo), WNED Create, and WNED PBS KIDS. WNED PBS is also a national producer of award-winning documentaries. Additional information about Buffalo Toronto Public Media can be found at wned.org.
About American Experience
For more than 35 years, American Experience has been television’s most-watched history series, bringing to life the incredible characters and epic stories that have shaped America’s past and present. American Experience documentaries have been honored with every major broadcast award, including 30 Emmy Awards, five duPont-Columbia Awards and 19 George Foster Peabody Awards. PBS’s signature history series also creates original digital content
that innovates new forms of storytelling to connect our collective past with the present. Cameo George is the series executive producer. American Experience is produced for PBS by GBH Boston. Visit pbs.org/americanexperience and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to learn more.
Major funding for American Experience provided by Liberty Mutual Insurance, Carlisle Companies and by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Funding for “Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal” provided by GBH Planet Future Fund and members of The Better Angels Society including The Fullerton Family Charitable Fund. Additional funding for American Experience provided by the Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation, The American Experience Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.
“Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal” is distributed internationally by PBS International.