The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its final cleanup plan for the Lehigh Valley Railroad Derailment site in LeRoy, New York. The plan aims to address contaminated groundwater, soil, bedrock, soil vapor, and surface water resulting from a train accident that occurred in 1970. The announcement was made on October 2, 2023.
The train derailment, which took place on December 6, 1970, resulted in approximately 30,000 gallons of trichloroethylene (TCE) spilling onto the ground at the Gulf Road crossing. This incident led to enduring groundwater contamination spanning a four-mile radius. The site was added to the Superfund List in 1999, and various stages of cleanup have been carried out since then, including early removals and additional remedial actions.
The final cleanup plan, known as the Record of Decision, includes several key elements. These include monitoring and restricting groundwater use due to current treatment limitations, removal and off-site disposal of the remaining contaminated soil with clean fill, on-site treatment of contaminated surface water through streambed cover, monitoring, and restrictions, continued monitoring of groundwater, surface water, soil vapor, and indoor air for contaminants, installation of vapor mitigation systems for affected properties to prevent harmful vapor intrusion, and ensuring homes over the contamination zone have access to public water systems or point-of-entry treatment systems.
Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia emphasized the importance of the final cleanup plan, stating, "This final cleanup plan addresses the remaining contamination from this historical event. We've collaborated with the state to eliminate immediate threats, ensuring residents have access to clean drinking water. We're now focusing on the last legacies of this derailment."
Throughout the cleanup process, the EPA has worked closely with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to address the site. The finalized plan incorporates sustainable remediation technologies and practices in line with both EPA Region 2's Clean and Green Energy Policy and NYSDEC's Green Remediation Policy.
With the EPA's finalization of the cleanup plan, efforts to remediate the Lehigh Valley Railroad Derailment site in LeRoy, New York, will continue to target lingering contamination in groundwater, soil, and surface water.
