The state is moving forward with a nearly $600 million plan to clean up groundwater pollution in and around Bethpage.

The Department of Environmental Conservation’s plan to stop the spread of the pollution by pumping out millions of gallons of contaminated water was approved Friday by state regulators.

News 12 has reported that the old Grumman plant in Bethpage was declared a Superfund site in 1983 because of underground contamination after decades of military manufacturing at the site. The plume of contamination is now more than 4 miles long and is spreading at about 1 foot per day.

"My top priority is protecting the health of New Yorkers, and we'll never wait for polluters to clean up their mess when it's most convenient for them," Gov. Cuomo said in a statement. "The people of Bethpage deserve immediate action to treat the severe contamination caused by this plume and to stop it from spreading. We're moving forward with an aggressive plan engineered to achieve the highest cleanup standards possible, and if necessary we'll go to court to force the polluters to pay for it."

Mike Boufis, the head of the Bethpage Water District, called it an aggressive plan that residents have been waiting for. He says he expects to see installed wells in the next few years.

Boufis says people in Bethpage will be disrupted, with roads and rights of ways impacted by construction. He says pipes will have to be laid and treatment facilities will be built.

According to Newsday, cleanup of the contamination to reach drinking water standards is projected to take 110 years.

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