It opened in 1979 after being built on former industrial property used by Remington Rand and American LaFrance. The soil on the school property is contaminated with fuel oil. The oil is being cleaned up and poses no health threat. The state Department of Environmental Conservation plans to test the soil on the school property for chemicals and contaminants found on the adjacent industrial property. Meanwhile, the state and county health departments are investigating cancer rates at the school as far back as the first graduating class in 1980.
Investigators say they are still trying to confirm the reported cancer cases.
Officials also say it's too early to determine whether there is any connection between the cancers and the contamination. We have a lot of gray areas. We need to get more information, but we have significant information now that this is a safe environment for our kids. I have a friend who has just been diagnosed with cancer who graduated in 1998. They're definitely taking it too lightly.