The public is invited to comment on a proposed remedy being reviewed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to address contamination related to a 6.76-acre site located at 230 Duffy Ave. in Hicksville.
The cleanup activities will be performed and funded by current property owner, Long Island Industrial, LLC, with oversight provided by NYSDEC. When NYSDEC is satisfied that cleanup requirements have been achieved, the applicant may be eligible for tax credits to offset the costs of performing cleanup activities and for redevelopment of the site.
Based on the findings of the investigation, NYSDEC, in consultation with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has determined that the site poses a significant threat due to elevated levels of contaminants in groundwater and soil vapor.
The main site feature include a 122,900-square-foot one- and two-story building. The remainder of the site consists of an asphalt parking area with some limited area of grass cover. The Site is bounded on the north by the Long Island Railroad; on the south by Duffy Avenue and a residential neighborhood; and on the east and west by active and vacant industrial or commercial operations. The site building is presently used for warehouse/retail.
Site Health Assessment
Direct contact with contaminants in the soil is unlikely because the majority of the site is covered with buildings and pavement. Contaminated groundwater at the site is not used for drinking or other purposes. The site is served by a public water supply that has a treatment system in place to remove contamination prior to distribution to the public. Volatile organic compounds in the groundwater and/or soil may move into the soil vapor (air spaces within the soil), which in turn may move into overlying buildings and affect the indoor air quality. This process, which is similar to the movement of radon gas from the subsurface into the indoor air of buildings, is referred to as soil vapor intrusion. The potential exists for inhalation of site contaminants via soil vapor intrusion within the on-site building. Also, the potential exists for off-site migration of contaminated soil vapor toward downgradient residences.
The History
Philips Electronics North America Corporation formerly owned the site, which was operated by Amperex Electronics Corporation, a subsidiary of Philips. Amperex’s primary business was the manufacture of electron tubes, consisting of receiving and transmitting tubes for high power radar and microwave applications. Manufacturing operations included the machining, heat treating, chemical cleaning, metal and glass working, cathode coating and metal plating processes. In the early 1990s, the plant was closed and all manufacturing and process equipment was removed from the site.
Brownfields And More
New York’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) encourages the voluntary cleanup of contaminated properties known as “brownfields” so that they can be reused and redeveloped. A brownfield site is any real property where a contaminant is present at levels exceeding the soil cleanup objectives or other health-based or environmental standards, criteria or guidance adopted by DEC that are applicable based on the reasonably anticipated use of the property, in accordance with applicable regulations.
NYSDEC is accepting written comments about the proposed cleanup plan through Nov. 28. The draft Remedial Work Plan (RWP) containing the proposed site remedy is available for public review at the Hicksville Public Library’s Reference Desk, 169 Jerusalem Ave., Hicksville. Call 516-931-1417. Selected project documents are also available on the NYSDEC website at: www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8431.html.
Comments and questions are always welcome and should be directed as follows:
Project Related Questions
John C. Sheehan
New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation
Division of Environmental Remediation
SUNY at Stony Brook 50 Circle Road
Stony Brook, NY 11790-3409
(631)-444-0240
John.sheehan@dec.ny.gov
Jacquelyn Nealon
New York State Department of Health
Empire State Plaza Corning Tower
Room 1787
Albany, NY 12237
518-402-7880
beei@health.ny.gov
—Submitted by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
