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gallons of water from a nearby flooded quarry and saturating the cleanup zone with it, then allowing the water to seep into the ground. This resulted in the trichloroethylene further saturating groundwater in the area, with many more wells becoming contaminated, with approximately 50 wells testing positive for TCE from 1990 to 1994. The Lehigh Valley
Railroad began supplying affected homes with drinking water beginning in 1971, and later provided filter systems for contaminated wells.
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404:, noted environmental activist, was called to town to investigate environmental pollution from the 1970 Lehigh Valley Railroad derailment as a possible cause. During this time, many of the girls appeared in the local and national media, as well as posting on social media. As this happened, many of these girls started reporting worse symptoms to their doctors and the illness spread to 20 individuals in total.
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The cyanide crystals were removed, but the trichloroethylene had soaked into the ground and contaminated at least two nearby wells, producing a noticeable smell and solvent properties. The Lehigh Valley
Railroad attempted to eliminate the smell in the spill area by pumping approximately 1 million
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Beginning in August 2011, 14 students (13 girls and 1 boy) from the LeRoy Junior-Senior High School began reporting myriad perplexing medical symptoms including verbal outbursts, tics, seizure activity, and speech difficulty. In mid-January, 5 days after a community meeting in which the
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Unsatisfied with the results of the investigation, the girls and their parents spoke out publicly against their diagnosis, stating that they believed the situation warranted further scrutiny from outside sources. Alternative medical theories for condition were suggested, including
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Constantine C. Markellis, environmental health engineer for the
Genesee County Health Department, deplored the health and safety hazard, and expressed criticism of railroads' maintenance when dangerous and toxic materials are being transported in increasingly large
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Eventually, as doctors encouraged their patients to stay away from the media and the media attention died down, many of the girls' symptoms improved. By the end of the school year in June, one girl was diagnosed with
Tourette syndrome, likely the source of the
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to discuss their frustration with not getting adequate answers. The next day, Dr. Laszlo
Mechtler, a neurologist treating most of the girls, was given permission to share the diagnosis of
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314:. The wreck was caused by an overheated journal box on the 70th car. The car was dragged a quarter of a mile upright and then derailed when it hit a
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stated that their diagnosis could not be revealed publicly due to privacy concerns, two of the girls appeared on
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At approximately 3:30 AM on
December 6, 1970, 25 cars from an eastbound 114-car freight train operated by the
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361:. The former Lehigh Valley Railroad line where the derailment took place was abandoned.
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The site of the Lehigh Valley
Railroad derailment is currently considered an EPA
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derailed in the town, rupturing and spilling approximately 2,000 pounds of
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331:"We're going to see more and more of this," Markellis observed ruefully.
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The day after the incident, a local health official was interviewed:
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318:. The first 69 cars and the last 20 cars remained on the tracks.
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Emens, Bob (December 7, 1970). "Derailed Train Spills
Cyanide".
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400:, which Dr. Mechtler and his team ruled out as possibilities.
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456:"EPA Superfund Record of Decision: LEHIGH VALLEY RAILROAD"
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Accidents and incidents involving Lehigh Valley
Railroad
283:. As of 2024, the site is still undergoing remediation.
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New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation
461:. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Archived from
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crystals, and 30,000 to 35,000 gallons of the solvent
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Railway accidents and incidents in New York (state)
522:"Superfund Site: LEHIGH VALLEY RAILROAD LE ROY, NY"
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225:Lehigh Valley Railroad (and corporate successors)
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524:. United States Environmental Protection Agency
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434:"Health Official Cites Dangers Of Derailment".
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355:United States Environmental Protection Agency
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454:O'Toole, Michael J. Jr. (July 27, 1999).
449:
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511:Le Roy, New York#2011 illness outbreak
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265:1970 Lehigh Valley Railroad derailment
176:Single eastbound 114-car freight train
22:1970 Lehigh Valley Railroad derailment
16:Contamination event and superfund site
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678:1970 disasters in the United States
668:Superfund sites in New York (state)
372:New York State Department of Health
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13:
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663:Derailments in the United States
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365:2011 LeRoy school investigation
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388:and mass psychogenic illness.
279:severe enough to qualify as a
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653:Railway accidents in 1970
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593:Audenshaw, United Kingdom
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567:Railway accidents in 1970
440:. 1970-12-07. p. 27.
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643:1970 in New York (state)
410:mass psychogenic illness
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306:The train originated at
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184:Significant Hazmat spill
308:Niagara Falls, New York
252:List of Superfund sites
497:Democrat and Chronicle
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293:Lehigh Valley Railroad
163:Overheated journal box
145:Lehigh Valley Railroad
63:; 53 years ago
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275:, that resulted in a
215:Trichloroethene (TCE)
117:42.992249°N 77.9333°W
61:December 6, 1970
599:Le Roy, New York, US
587:Benavídez, Argentina
310:, and was bound for
277:toxic chemical spill
386:conversion disorder
312:Sayre, Pennsylvania
122:42.992249; -77.9333
113: /
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580:Location and date
394:Tourette syndrome
301:trichloroethylene
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648:Le Roy, New York
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336:Cleanup attempts
273:Le Roy, New York
246:January 19, 1999
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601:(6 December)
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526:. Retrieved
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472:February 15,
470:. Retrieved
463:the original
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267:was a train
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212:Contaminants
207:NYD986950251
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220:Responsible
199:Information
120: /
96:Coordinates
637:Categories
416:References
381:Today Show
269:derailment
204:CERCLIS ID
168:Statistics
155:Derailment
108:77°56′00″W
105:42°59′32″N
68:1970-12-06
191:Superfund
147:Main Line
595:(20 May)
528:March 3,
357:and the
326:amounts.
235:Proposed
230:Progress
90:New York
78:Location
569: (
297:cyanide
222:parties
133:Country
73:3:30 AM
66: (
53:Details
398:PANDAS
316:switch
243:Listed
181:Damage
173:Trains
82:Le Roy
466:(PDF)
459:(PDF)
345:Today
287:Event
160:Cause
624:1971
611:1969
571:1970
530:2021
474:2012
396:and
263:The
193:site
141:Line
58:Date
378:'s
376:NBC
136:USA
88:,
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