DEC announces completion of second phase of thermal treatment to address contamination at former Grumman site in Bethpage
The site has been partially closed for more than two decades due to groundwater contamination.
More Stories
Northrop Grumman and the United States Navy are currently pumping and treating 10 million gallons of contaminated water at the former Grumman site in Bethpage daily, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
The DEC announced on Thursday that the second phase of thermal treatment to address contamination at the site has been completed.
“We removed more than 460 pounds of that VOC contamination in less than 13 months … The oversight of the cleanup and the full containment of the larger plume is also making tremendous progress,” said NYS DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton.
The site has been partially closed for more than two decades due to groundwater contamination. Beginning in the 1940s, Grumman and the U.S. Navy manufactured war planes, using hazardous chemicals.
Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joe Saladino said, despite the progress in the cleanup, Northrop Grumman has never been held fully accountable.
“Remove the soil. Ship it off Long Island and restore the facilities to this park to the Bethpage community," he said.
“We have some of the most advanced treatment systems and we take that groundwater and we remove the contaminants, and we make it into safe drinking water," said Bethpage Water District Superintendent Michael Boufis.
Phase 3 will address hotspot contamination in a third area of the park, located beneath the parking lot.
“You just want to make sure that they're doing everything they possibly can to remedy the situation even though it's years later," said Sara Minieri, of Lindenhurst.
According to the DEC, more than 276,000 pounds of contaminants have been removed from the site to date.
Northrop Grumman released the following statement on the completion of Phase 2 thermal treatment:
"Northrop Grumman continues to work closely with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and other stakeholders to address environmental conditions in Bethpage. As the NYSDEC’s announcement notes, Northrop Grumman has made significant progress in the cleanup effort to support the Bethpage community. "
