The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) held a public meeting this week at Island Trees High School to discuss its preferred remedy regarding the clean up of the American Drive-In Cleaners Site located at 3801 Hempstead Tpke. in Levittown. At the meeting, residents, Island Trees School District officials and local elected officials expressed their concerns about the site, including the amount of time it has taken to get this far and how much longer they estimate it will take for cleanup to get started.

DEC representatives, including Regional Citizen Participation Specialist Mark Lowery and Project Manager Robert Filkins, together with Joseph DeFranco, a representative from the Nassau County Department of Health, spoke to residents regarding the site's history, remedial investigation findings and the DEC's proposed remedy to cleanup the site.

The reason for contamination at the site was that the dry cleaners, which ceased operations in early 2001, apparently disposed of perchloroethylene, or "perc," a common dry cleaning chemical at the site, resulting in the contamination of soil and groundwater. Soon after the contamination was discovered, the DEC designated the site as a Class 2 inactive hazardous waste disposal site, one which presents a threat to public health or the environment and requires investigatory or remedial action, and began to conduct a remedial investigation to determine the nature and extent of the contamination.

The DEC's investigation included the sampling of groundwater and air, an evaluation to determine the extent of the contamination and identification of risks to human health and the environment if the site were to be left unremediated. In early 2001, the DEC separated the site into two operable units, Operable Unit 1 (OU1) and Operable Unit 2 (OU2). OU1 consists of the area that is affected north of Hempstead Tpke. and OU2 consists of the affected area beneath and south of Hempstead Tpke. The site was split to allow remediation of the on-site source areas and contaminated groundwater to proceed while necessary additional data were being gathered concerning the off-site groundwater plume.

In March of last year, the last time the DEC met with the public regarding this site, representatives presented their preferred remedy for OU1 - in situ chemical oxidation, soil vapor extraction, on-site groundwater extraction and treatment and long term groundwater monitoring.

While investigating OU2, the DEC found that groundwater was the only medium within that area to be affected by the contamination. They found that perc was present in 34 of 61 groundwater samples taken from off-site monitoring wells. Water samples taken from an irrigation well on the Island Trees High School property had concentrations at up to 21 parts per billion (ppb). The groundwater standard for perc is five ppb. Trichloroethene and dichloroethene were also present in OU2 groundwater.

DEC is proposing in situ air sparging, soil vapor extraction and long term groundwater monitoring for OU2. Under this remedy, groundwater would be treated in place via air sparging. The air sparging system would consist of approximately 125 sparge wells, installed to a depth of 50 to 80 feet, or 15 to 45 feet below the water table. Air would be injected into the groundwater through these wells and contaminants such as perc would evaporate into the air as it rises through the groundwater. A soil vapor extraction system would capture the air once it rose above the water table.

The soil vapor extraction system would consist of approximately 30 vertical vapor extraction wells, which would be connected by pipes to a treatment building where a vacuum would be applied to the system to draw contaminated air from the subsurface soils. The contaminants in the extracted air would be treated with activated carbon before release to the atmosphere. DEC representatives stated that they expect this system to remove close to 97 percent of the mass of contaminants above groundwater standards over an estimated 10 years.

The remedy would also include a long-term groundwater monitoring plan and a contingency plan to install a new irrigation well on the Island Trees High School property if monitoring of the current irrigation well indicates that perc concentrations in the well exceed acceptable limits.

During the public meeting, residents expressed concern over the amount of time that it has already taken to get this far and questioned why the process is such a lengthy one. Lowery explained that the DEC was in negotiations with the potentially responsible parties (PRPs), the operator of the site and property owner, from 1994 to '97. He noted that this process is required by law, as the DEC must go after the PRPs to determine where funding for the cleanup will come from. Lowery added that, soon after, the site became a State Superfund site, one that has been investigated by the state. Currently, negotiations for the implementation of the on-site cleanup are taking place with the property owner.

Lowery added that the meeting is an important part of the process, as the DEC sometimes changes its preferred remedy depending on public comment. He noted that the property owner will be made aware of the full extent of cleanup necessary and the cost after the DEC releases its Record of Decision (ROD), which will state the cleanup that is to be done as well as address any of the comments members of the public either presented at the meeting or submitted in writing.

Filkins further noted that the American Drive-In Cleaners is one out of close to 200 contaminated sites in Nassau County on the DEC's list of those which require cleanup, but it is less of a priority because the contamination does not pose a threat to community residents.

"There are no private drinking supply wells in the area," he said. "All the drinking water supply wells in the county are strictly monitored by the Nassau County Department of Health."

Lowery explained that another reason that the process has been, and in all likelihood will continue to be a lengthy one, is that several investigations have to be conducted.

"These investigations take time. We have to go on several groundwater samples," he said.

Island Trees Schools Superintendent Richard Segerdahl asked DEC representatives whether or not it is safe for Island Trees students to use the fields whose sprinkler systems run from the irrigation wells. Filkins told him and other residents that it was, noting that the water supply coming from those wells is not required to exceed drinking water standards as it is not used for drinking water. Hempstead Town Councilman Gary Hudes asked the DEC the extent of exposure those who use the fields would be subject to. Filkins noted that in addition to the water, the air around the sprinklers used for the fields have been tested and do not pose a threat.

Legislator Dennis Dunne also expressed concern regarding the water supply and asked if the water fountains in the local businesses like Target and the soon to be opened Stop & Shop; the sprayers that will cleanse the fruits and vegetables at the supermarket and the showers at the schools are safe. Filkins reiterated that the water supply for those venues is strictly monitored and that none of the supply would come from the other wells.

Island Trees School Board member Carl Bonsignore questioned how the DEC had enough funds to conduct investigations but now that a cleanup is almost selected, there are no more funds available. He also questioned the amount of time the process has taken. Representatives explained that the DEC has a limited number of staff members to conduct investigations and that currently, the state superfund has not been reauthorized.

Kathy Safrey, Island Trees School Board president, asked how long the process would take in the chance that the superfund money is reauthorized. Segerdahl also noted that the last meeting the DEC met with residents took place over a year ago and questioned how much time will pass before the next meeting.

"If we had the funding then [the process] could potentially speed up. We haven't even gotten out the ROD yet for OU2. If we got funding tomorrow - it could take a year before anything got done," Lowery said, noting that it would take time to draw up plans and select somebody to do the work. "The reality is, we're not getting the funding tomorrow."

He added that the DEC doesn't conduct meetings very often, but that fact sheets are made available when there is a change of status in a particular site. Representatives told Segerdahl that they will certainly contact him when there is progress so he could alert local residents.

"I understand that this takes time," Safrey noted, "but it has to be made very clear; this is where we live. This is where we have our families. People who live in a community need to know what's going on. What you're hearing here is a real concern. We want to keep our residents and children safe."

Residents who were unable to attend the meeting and wish to submit written comments may do so to Robert Filkins, Project Manager, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-7015. Comments must be submitted by July 8.

Based upon the public comments received, the DEC may modify its proposal or select a different course of action. Written responses to all substantive comments received will be published as part of the ROD. Residents will be notified when the ROD is released and available in document repositories.

Site documents, including the proposed remedial action plan and the remedial investigation reports, are available at DEC's Stony Brook headquarters and the Island Trees Public Library. Site information is also available at www.dec.state.ny.us/website/reg1/hazwaste.html.