d tried to convince Hooker to sell this cheap, undeveloped land to the city for a new school. The company felt that it was unwise to build on a dumpsite and refused to sell. The school board simply threatened to take it over through "eminent domain." Eminent domain allows a government agency to force a person--at gunpoint, if necessary--to give up his or her land if the project is "for the common good." (http://www.freedomusa.org/strider/strider21.html)
             At first Hooker declined, because it was concerned about liability for the wastes, but within a month it reconsidered and finally succumbed to aggression-through-government to donate the property. The conditions on the donation were that the School Board takes the entire property, insuring Hooker against loss for any claims, and continue to allow dumping until the school was built. Hooker brought the board members to the canal site to see the stored chemicals in an effort to convince them to avoid building underground facilities of any kind. However, Hooker took a tax deduction for a cha
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