Following questions from residents about the clean up status of the American Drive In Cleaners property, which in 1997 was labeled a class 2 inactive hazardous waste site by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Citizens Committee for Civic Action (CCCA) contacted the DEC and found that the final investigative report on the site would be available shortly with a finalized remediation plan due in August.

A class 2 site is defined by the DEC as one which "poses a significant threat, though not one of a direct, immediate or crisis nature, to the public or the environment and action is required."

The study of the site, which has been operated as a dry cleaners since the 1950s began approximately a decade ago when the county was considering the purchase of the lot across Hempstead Turnpike where Target is currently located. In 1990, five monitoring wells were installed by the Department of Public Works and those test wells revealed the presence of the dry cleaning solvent Tetracholoroethane (PCE) at up to 274 parts per billion (ppb), when under NYS DEC groundwater standards only 5 ppb is the allowable concentration. Public works notified the county department of health which then found the contamination at the American Dry Cleaners site. Soil samples from the American Drive In Cleaners property, according to the DEC report revealed PCE contamination of 1500 parts per million (ppm).

In 1994 Frank's Nursery and Crafts, adjacent to the American site had an environmental assessment of their property done, which found PCE concentrations of up to 35,000 ppm.

In 1997, following the issuance of the initial environmental report, the NYS DEC held a public meeting at Island Trees Middle School, where the state outlined the study and discussed the formation of a cleanup plan. Since that time little has been said about the site but it now appears as though another public meeting will be held in the fall, prior to the remediation of the site.

It was in the middle of the 90s that the CCCA first became involved with the American site, at the request of area residents. The CCCA is a group that began over 20 years ago, primarily as an environmental group which has since expanded into economic and social issues as well. The committee's first project was shutting down the first Town of Hempstead Incinerator, which had nothing in it or on it to prevent contamination. Since that first action, the group's members have learned the technical aspects of these types of issues. In addition, the committee has technical advisors who assist them in their work. "We're kind of a liaison between the so-called perpetrator, the community, and the agencies," said Viki DeJong, chair of the CCCA.

According to DeJong, she spoke with Robert Filkins, of the NYS DEC, project manager for the American site, on May 31 and was informed that the plume of contamination has moved south of Hempstead Turnpike to test wells under Target Plaza, where heavy concentrations of PCE were found. Low levels of PCE were also found in the irrigation wells at Island Trees High School.

The contamination is in the groundwater and has not spread to the drinking water. Had the contamination remained undetected, said DeJong, the drinking water may have been affected, but because it was caught and they are continuously testing the water, it will not spread to the drinking water. DeJong explained that she keeps in touch with the Town of Hempstead Water Commissioner Arnold Palleschi, who, she said, is very cooperative in keeping the CCCA informed on what is happening.

DeJong noted that there are several ways in which the DEC can remediate and they will select the best method in terms of containing and cleaning up this particular site. One possible method is air sparging, which involves pumping air into the soil and groundwater and volatilizing the contaminants, which are then brought to the surface through a vacuum inside a guard well and the air is then filtered to get rid of the contaminants. Prior to any remediation taking place there will be a public hearing in the area, which will most likely take place in the fall, possibly October or November.