Health officials have determined the cause of the mysterious odor that lingered for several days over New Windsor, Cornwall, and other portions of eastern Orange County, but their explanation is just as mysterious.
On February 16 and 17, 2023, Haz-Mat teams, state officials, and local health officials all deployed to investigate a mysterious odor being reported across the area (story here). The Town of Cornwall reported that multiple people reported being sick or having other effects. Some residents said they had a light filmy substance over their vehicles.
Yesterday, the Orange County Department of Health released the findings of their investigation performed in conjunction with Orange County Emergency Management and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
According to the Department of Health, the DEC has determined that the source of the unusual odors was identified to be in Salisbury Mills. The DEC designated this incident as a “spill,” which they said was “based on a strong smell detected in the soil along the roadway.”
The Department of Health stated soil samples were taken and did not identify “any contaminants of concern to public health or the environment.” They also claimed that “no imminent public health or environmental threat was detected based on initial air readings of the material.” The readings were taken by the DEC using a photoionization detector.
In addition, the Department of Health worked with local municipalities to take surveillance samples of surface water near the Salisbury Mills area. Those water results returned negative results for all tested volatile organic compounds, according to the Department of Health.
During the two days of the incident, some residents had speculated that the odor and residue could be from the train derailment and hazardous material spill in Ohio.
