“Love Canal; Evidence of Injury” examines the legacy of North America’s first Superfund site through the unsung history of women who organized for environmental justice in their neighborhoods. Nestled just outside of Niagara Falls this sleepy town in upstate NY became headline news when an entire working-class community was poisoned by leaking dioxin containers buried just beneath the asphalt. By the late 1970’s toxic sludge began creeping into people’s basements as the mothers of Love Canal reported alarming rates of birth defects, miscarriages, and childhood leukemia.

Today, wildlife like mullein and milkweed thrive despite elevated toxicity levels that remain ever-present within the landscape. Driveways to nowhere, broken streetlights, and decommissioned fire hydrants mark the empty streets adjacent to a fenced off piece of land where the 99th Street School used to sit. Empty lots where houses once sat crumble as feral gardens of lupine and Queen Anne’s lace remediate the soil. But, in and around the containment zone, are the stories of mothers who fought for the right to a safe and healthy environment. The intersections of class, race, gender, and housing are inextricably linked to the struggle as well, though many of these stories were omitted from the mainstream narrative. Broader themes in the series explore adaptation, toxicity, reproduction, mutation, and survival - with a focus on the interconnectedness of our fragile ecosystem and the human body.