Strange black substance on family cars in Schaghticoke

SCHAGHTICOKE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A Rensselaer County man fears a strange substance coming from nearby freight trains onto his home might be harmful. He and his family now want answers on what the material is. 

Dave Quillanon and his family enjoyed living in their Schaghticoke neighborhood for 15 years until a tarry black substance appeared on the family's vehicles, soil, and house. Quillanon says the soot appeared a few months ago after a New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) project.

“NYSEG came through and chopped all of our trees down that barricaded the railroad from our property,” Quillanon recalled.

Quillanon thinks the 15 to 20 freight trains passing by his property every day is causing this. The husband and father's concerns aren't just cosmetic. 

“We have well water. Like I said, we don't know what this black grease or tar is putting into our soil" Quillanon explained.

But driving with the substance smeared on his windshield is what pushed him to speak out and get help from local representatives.

“Windows going gray when headlights hit our windows that's what caused me to send an email” Quillanon explained.

Quillanon’s wife even contacted Ed Kinowski, town supervisor of nearby Stillwater. That area encountered a similar issue with Genesee and Wyoming, the same company managing the trains going through Quillanon’s neighborhood.

“They would idle there for multiple hours, and that smoke was filling up people's houses and it was dangerous it's not healthy, and we negotiated with them to park way out around the Big Bend where there's no houses,” said Town Supervisor Edward Kinowski.

Even he ponders the nature of the soot.

“It could be poorly burned diesel fuel, it could be hydraulic fluid, it could be any number of substances, but it appears to be very sticky and it can ruin a car's surface or windshield,” said Kinowski.

Quillanon wants a solution: “A barrier would be nice I don't know like a little fence or a wall,” he suggested.

NEWS10's Zion Decoteau heard from NYSEG who says their vegetation team will investigate this issue. Stillwater's Town Supervisor says Genesee and Wyoming Inc. told him they will be working with Quillanon's family to correct the situation. NEWS10 contacted the company to identify the substance. We are still awaiting word.