Concerned Citizens of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community, Inc. held their second annual Community Forum on Tuesday at the library allowing residents the opportunity to be updated on local issues facing the community.

The main focus of the meeting was the Plainview Water District and the lawsuit against Exxon-Mobil. Commissioners Kevin Langberg and Joel Kessler as well as Superintendent Paul Granger were on hand to make the presentation to those in attendance.

The Plainview Water District became aware of a significant gasoline spill located at the site of a former Exxon-Mobil Station at 1101 Old Country Road. The gasoline spill unfortunately contains Methyl Tertiary Buthyl Ether (MTBE), which is an additive in reformulated gasoline for reducing carbon monoxide emissions from motor vehicles. The MTBE will eventually impact two local drinking water supply wells unless immediate and determined action is taken to remediate the spill and provide treatment at the supply wells, according to the Plainview Water District.

"We are pleased to report that all of our supply wells are free from MTBE at this time," said the Plainview Water District in a recent newsletter. "Furthermore, we are vigilantly monitoring them. Residents can be assured that the water district is taking every proactive measure to protect public health. To illustrate this point, the construction of an outpost early detection monitoring well cluster was completed and placed into operation during 2002. This monitoring well cluster will provide the water district with advanced warning should the MTBE plume continue to move toward our supply wells."

Superintendent Granger explained that in order to protect the financial interest of the taxpayers, the Water District has taken legal action against Exxon-Mobil to ensure that the spill be cleaned and MTBE does not encroach on the supply wells. "The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and Exxon-Mobil still have not provided the water district with a plan of action for cleaning the groundwater contamination," according to a water district newsletter.

Granger stressed that all of the drinking water supply wells are free of MTBE at this time. "This is not a matter of if, but a matter of when this comes into our wells," said Granger. "We are monitoring this situation so residents don't have to worry."

The Water District encourages all customers to write to the NYSDEC and demand that the spill be fully cleaned up. Please write to Peter A. Scully, Director, Region 1 - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, SUNY Building 40, Stony Brook, New York 11790-2356.

For more information, please call Plainview Water District Superintendent Paul Granger at 931-6469. For legal questions regarding the lawsuit with Exxon-Mobil, contact Marc Bern, Esq. At 212-267-3700 and for health related questions, please call the Nassau County Department of Health at 571-3323.

The Concerned Citizens of the Plainview-Old Bethpage Community, Inc. have been involved in many different environmental actions in the area and need the community's support in order to continue their involvements. For more information please call 433-6001.