(The following information was provided by the New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation.)

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will hold an informal public information meeting on March 2, 7 p.m. at the Finley Middle School, Glen Cove. The DEC will discuss the upcoming environmental investigation of the RonHill Cleaners Inactive Hazardous Waste site, 71 Forest Avenue at Bryce Avenue, in Glen Cove.

The site area is less than one acre and is located on a strip of commercial businesses, surrounded by residential streets. The former dry cleaning building is now occupied by Payless Shoe Store. There were retail dry cleaning operations on the property from about 1963 to 1993. (This site is not the new RonHill Cleaners on School Street). The hazardous waste released at the RonHill Cleaners consists of percholoroethylene or "perc," a non-flammable, chlorinated solvent used in commercial dry cleaning establishments to remove dirt and stains from clothing. Most dry cleaners attempt to recycle and reuse the solvent. Environment-friendly equipment was installed at RonHill in 1988, but before that time perc appears to have been lost through leaks or spills.

In 1978, the Nassau County Dept. of Health sampled and reported perc contamination in the rear of the RonHill building, which was unpaved at that time. The county department of health was investigating possible local sources of perc after the discovery of perc in public supply wells at the Seaman Road Well Field. These supply wells have been taken out of service. In response to county and state concerns, the site owner, Bedford Affiliates, conducted investigations of perc contamination at the site in 1990 and 1994. Another apparent source of perc contamination discovered during these studies was from a pipe trough along the back wall of the building in which perc was recirculated for reuse. High levels of perc were discovered in the soil and around this trough. The Bedford Affiliates studies also found groundwater contamination approximately 80 feet below the ground. Deeper groundwater contamination may exist. It is necessary to investigate the potential off-site migration of perc from this site. Local public water supply wells have been monitored regularly and treated or removed from service if contaminants such as perc are detected. In 1994, Bedford Affiliates' contractor removed approximately 72 tons of perc-contaminated soil from the perc recirculation pipe trench. In 1995, NYSDEC designated the RonHill Cleaners site as a Class 2 site, meaning "significant threat to public health or environment, action required."

The focus of the informational meeting is the study to be done at the site, called a Remedial Investigation Feasibility Study, (RI/FS). The remedial investigation will determine how much contamination there is, how far it extends, as well as potential threats to the public's health and the environment. As part of the investigation, soil and groundwater will be sampled. The feasibility study to evaluate cleanup actions may follow the remedial investigation unless interim remedial measures are found to address all threats from the site. NYSDEC will describe its preferred way to clean up the site in a Proposed Remedial Action Plan, (PRAP). After the public reviews and comments on the PRAP, a Record of Decision will be finalized and the cleanup remedy will be designed and constructed.

According to the New York City Department of Health, perc is found most frequently in air and less often in the water and food. "Air close to dry cleaning shops and chemical waste sites may have levels of perc higher than background levels. The main route of exposure to perc for residents in the vicinity of such facilities is inhalation. The health effects of perc depend on the level and duration of exposure. When concentrations in the air are high, particularly in closed, poorly ventilated areas, a single exposure can cause dizziness, headache, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, difficulty in speaking and walking, unconciousness, and death. Skin irritation may result from repeated or extended contact with perc. By far the most significant exposure to perc occurs in industrial environments. Liver and central nervous system effects have been observed in workers in industries using perc."

On March 2, representatives from the NYSDEC and the New York Department of Health will make brief presentations about the RonHill site followed by a question and answer period and an opportunity for public comment on the investigation plans. NYSDEC encourages public participation in this project. You are encouraged to view the citizen participation plan which is available at the Glen Cove Public Library and at the City Clerk's Office in Glen Cove City Hall.