Lexi Hawk and her partner Trevor Bradley bought a home in Niagara, N.Y., expecting a fresh start. Instead, they discovered their backyard was contaminated with Thorium-232 and other radioactive isotopes. After a government survey of 1,400 homes in western New York, 38 properties may require extensive cleanups, and four families were offered immediate relocation. The couple’s map of Geiger counter readings shows red dots — labeled “red hot” — covering the woods and a creek near their daughter’s swing set.
The contamination traces back to decades of industrial dumping, including the infamous Love Canal disaster. Hawk, who grew up nearby, recalls swimming in pools and playing in creeks while seven family members contracted cancer. Bradley lived five blocks from Love Canal during its evacuation in the 1970s. Now, the couple faces the question of how to keep their 3-year-old daughter safe in a home they thought was a sanctuary.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing