The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will hold a public information and comment meeting on the Minmilt Realty Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Site on Wednesday, Feb. 20. The meeting will be held at the Farmingdale Public Library and will begin at 7 p.m. Topics to be discussed are the results of investigations and remedial activities that have been completed at the site and DEC's proposed remedial action plan.

The Minmilt Realty site is located at 540 Smith Street in East Farmingdale, in Suffolk County. Hygrade Metal Mouldings operated a manufacturing facility on the site and discharged tetrachloroethylene, a common degreasing solvent, into an onsite leaching drywell from 1965 to 1983. Environmental investigations conducted between 1994 and 2000 show that soil and groundwater on the site are contaminated with tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or "perc," and its breakdown products trichloroethylene and dichloroethylene. A plume of contaminants has migrated offsite in groundwater.

In July 1996, DEC approved the installation of a soil vapor extraction system and an offsite groundwater treatment system by the site owner. The soil vapor extraction system was installed in February 1997 as an interim remedial measure to remove contaminants from onsite soils. The groundwater treatment system, also installed as an interim remedial measure, was designed to extract and treat contaminated groundwater near the site. An interim remedial measure is a discrete set of activities to address both emergency and nonemergency site conditions to prevent, mitigate or remedy environmental damage or the consequences of environmental damage attributable to the site.

Operation of the soil and groundwater treatment systems has been monitored with quarterly sampling, and a soil sampling program was conducted in 2000 to measure the effectiveness of the soil vapor extraction system in removing contaminants from the soil. These sampling programs show that the interim remedial measures have been successful in intercepting the plume of groundwater contaminants emanating from the site and in reducing the extent and concentration of soil contamination at the site.

The environmental investigations had also revealed an abandoned fuel oil tank. Fuel oil leaking from this tank had mixed with tetrachloroethylene in soil and groundwater near the tank. The oil-tetrachloroethylene mixture has been removed from the groundwater through a periodic removal process conducted in a nearby monitoring well.

DEC has reviewed a number of alternatives for the final remedy for the site and is proposing continued operation of the current soil vapor extraction and groundwater treatment systems as the final remedy. A comprehensive monitoring program to ensure continued effectiveness of these systems would be part of the final remedy. DEC has described its preferred alternative, as well as other alternatives considered, in a proposed remedial action plan for the site.

Additional detailed information on the site history and remediation will be provided at the February 20 meeting. Those interested will have an opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns about the work at the site and to comment on the proposed remedial action plan. Written comments may also be submitted to Steven M. Scharf, P.E., 625 Broadway, NY 12233-7010. All comments must be received by March 4, 2002.

Upon review of the public comments on the proposed remedy, DEC will prepare its record of decision that will formally document the final site remedy selection. The record of decision will include a responsiveness summary which will address all comments received during the comment period.

The surrounding community is supplied with drinking water from the East Farmingdale Water District. No public water supply wells have been affected by contamination from this site. Public water supplies are monitored on a regular basis to ensure they meet New York State drinking water standards.

The proposed remedial action plan and other documents related to the site are available for public review at the Half Hollow Hills Public Library, 55 Vanderbilt Parkway, Dix Hills.