Pollution in New Cassel may be a cause for concern as multiple state and federal departments have released findings regarding poor air quality, vehicle pollution and water contamination.
The hamlet in the middle of Nassau County is home to roughly 14,000 people and an around 170-acre industrial area that includes 10 auto body shops, three scrap metal processors, and at least one vehicle dismantling facility.
In February, the DEC indicated that there are higher levels of pollution of diesel and non-diesel mobile source pollutants in New Cassel’s industrial area compared to the surrounding area.
It said carcinogens carry short-term health effects, like worsening respiratory conditions, as well as long-term connections to cancer, dementia and heart disease.
According to the DEC, traffic volume was the most significant contributing factor to the air pollution observed in the initiative.
New Cassel’s air quality was monitored between 2022 and 2023, and it was completed under the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy.
In the study, a total of 10 communities throughout the state were monitored. The sample area in Nassau County included parts of New Cassel, Westbury, Roosevelt, Uniondale and Hempstead.
Vehicles with air sensors drove along public roads, and several primary roads in the area, including the Northern and Southern State Parkways, showed increased pollution.
New Cassel is in close proximity to several major Long Island highways and commercial centers.
According to the state Department of Health, from 2020 to 2022, the three-year average asthma hospitalization rate per 10,000 in a ZIP code that includes areas of New Cassel was deemed a high concern.
New Cassel’s groundwater has also suffered from contamination in the past, which led to the Environmental Protection Agency creating the New Cassel/Hicksville Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site.
Companies in New Cassel’s industrial area had been disposing of hazardous materials and extensive contamination was discovered in the 1980s.
The New Cassel/Hicksville Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site covers roughly 6.5 miles, encompassing more than New Cassel itself, which measures 1.5 square miles.
New Cassel has been classified as one of the oldest minority communities on Long Island and is today considered a diverse hamlet.
