MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma has been deemed a state Superfund site.

New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation says it found “significant” chemical contamination in groundwater in the area.

The DEC says its investigation found six private wells to be contaminated. 

“We know there isn't a concern right now for any public exposure to this, and now it's just the cleanup investigation and plans that need to be produced and that's why we listed it as a Superfund site,” says state DEC Executive Deputy Commissioner Sean Mahar.

The private wells that were impacted were already provided treatment.

The DEC says significant levels of substances known as PFAs were detected, stemming from firefighting foam.

PFAs are known as “forever chemicals” and have been linked to health problems, including cancers.

The DEC had been screening the area for multiple years. It was listed as a “potential” Superfund site in 2018.

The airport is owned by the Town of Islip. 

A majority of area residents are serviced by public water, meaning they are unaffected. The Suffolk County Water Authority says, “All SCWA wells in the vicinity of MacArthur Airport have drinking water treatment systems installed that remove PFAS contaminants to non-detectable levels. SCWA maintains internal standards for water quality that are more protective than required by regulators and will continue to do so."

A town spokesperson told News 12 “there is no health concern" and public drinking water supplies "continue to meet standards."

In a statement, the DEC says it will oversee a comprehensive investigation to define the full nature and extent of the contamination and will take appropriate action to address the contamination to ensure the protection of public health and environment.