Officials outraged after chemical drums found buried in Long Island park
BETHPAGE, N.Y. -- Toxic chemicals were recently found buried underground on Long Island, leaving officials fuming.
The 55-gallon drums were discovered in Bethpage Community Park and are believed to date back decades.
Workers are testing the soil around where six drums were unearthed at a former ballfield. The soil was being treated to remove decades-old contamination, but the new discovery has prompted new outrage.
"Will we find more drums put in concrete vaults, coffin-like vaults, which proves to us that they knew they were dealing with something very dangerous," Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said.
Saladino blasted Northrop Grumman and the state Department of Environmental Conservation for a slow and haphazard cleanup of an environmental nightmare, contamination traced back to Grumman's 1950s aerospace manufacturing, when chemicals were routinely dumped into the ground.
Years ago, a whistleblower claimed the company also buried chemical drums.
"That claim was deemed unfounded by the DEC, but look where we are today," Saladino said.
For decades, residents have lived in fear of the health impacts, as a carcinogenic plume of underground water grows. Local water has been cleaned up at great expense.
"It's a game changer," said Michael Boufis, Bethpage's water superintendent.
Boufis said the discovery prompts worry about future contamination.
"This is a liquid. This would easily travel through the soil and go down into the groundwater and eventually hit a public water supply well," Boufis said.
The DEC said there is no evidence apparent petroleum products inside the drums have leaked out. Underground radar will be used to search the entire park for more drums.
The DEC released the following statement:
"The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) continues to strictly oversee the cleanup of the Bethpage Community Park in the town of Oyster Bay. The ongoing remediation of the Navy-Grumman groundwater plume is a priority for DEC and New York State. During the investigation of historic contamination in the park, contractors working for Northrop Grumman at DEC's direction discovered encased drums buried in a cement vault.
"These compounds are consistent with known historic operations of Northrop-Grumman and the U.S. Navy at this location and the contamination that is the focus of the ongoing remedial action.
"DEC will continue to oversee cleanup activities at this location, including use of geophysical techniques, such as ground-penetrating radar, as well as subsurface drilling and sampling to determine the full nature and extent of contamination and the presence of any additional drums buried deep beneath the site. DEC will update the town and community regarding confirmatory samples taken around the encased drums as information becomes available.
"DEC will continue to hold Northrop Grumman accountable for the cleanup of Bethpage Community Park."
Saladino is calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to get the DEC to quickly change course and instead of treating the soil, dig it up and get it away from Long Island's water supply.
A spokesman for Northrop Grumman told CBS New York its workers made the discovery and notified the DEC, and the company remains "committed to protecting the health and well-being of the community."
