Cleanup work at the abandoned Manufactured Gas Plant in Bay Shore was halted earlier this week due to an engineering hitch.

KeySpan?s cleanup project stems from a potentially cancerous plume of chemicals underneath area homes and businesses. The plan called for the construction of an 80-foot underground wall with a filtration system to contain toxic coal tar sediments.

That construction has now gone silent. The delay comes after the state Department of Environmental Conservation told KeySpan that metal sheets involved in the construction are not aligning properly.

KeySpan said the cleanup has been halted indefinitely while it evaluates alternative plans. The delay has caused alarm among environmentalists and residents who live near the plant. Resident Paula Milan said the cleanup needs to be resumed quickly.

?The sooner they complete the work, the better,? Milan said.