A new federal bill will require the Navy to map the toxic plume that started at the old Northrop Grumman site in Bethpage, if the president signs it into law.

The measure was approved by Congress and is now headed to President Barack Obama's desk.

"I think it's a good thing for the residents of Bethpage," says Bethpage Water District Superintendent Michael Boufis. "We've been seeking answers for decades and hopefully this will give us the answers we are looking for."

According to the legislation, the report must include a description of the contaminants leaving the site within a 10-mile radius, a detailed mapping of the movement of the plume over time and the future impacts on how drinking water supplies could be affected.

"Now, thanks to language I authored...Navy and Grumman have a new homework assignment: They have six months to publish a detailed report on the plume that answers our questions," says Sen. Charles Schumer, who wrote the provision. "I look forward to those findings, because we want Bethpage cleaned up and the polluters held accountable."

News 12 reached out to Grumman and the Navy for comment, but has not yet heard back. Once the president signs the act into law, the Navy has six months to submit the official groundwater contamination report and then must do so annually for the next four years.