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Overcast Dry-cleaner contamination uncovered
Owner agrees to clear site of possible carcinogen
Busy Bee Cleaners, on Merrick Road in Merrick, is undertaking an environmental cleanup with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to eliminate the contaminant tetrachloroethylene, otherwise know as PCE, from groundwater beneath the shop.
The dry-cleaner is on the south side of Merrick Road, between Beach Drive and Montauk Avenue. A report conducted by an outside contractor and reviewed by the DEC indicated that the contamination is not considered hazardous to people in nearby buildings or homes, but must be removed to meet DEC standards.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has identified PCE as a carcinogen, but it is only harmful to those who are exposed to large doses of it over many years. It is a colorless, organic liquid that is commonly used in aerosol dry-cleaning products.
“It’s not uncommon to find it in groundwater,” said Bill Fonda, a DEC spokesman, who also noted that “past practices that may have once been deemed acceptable have now led to current problems” at Busy Bee.
A voluntary agreement
In 2001, Busy Bee owner Robert Bernstein and the DEC agreed to remediate the site, with Busy Bee paying for and carrying out the cleanup. Following an investigation from 2004 to 2006 by Roux Associates, an environmental consulting and management company hired by Bernstein, the cleanup is now moving to the remediation stage, but before it gets under way, the public is being given the chance to comment on the plan.
To clean up the site, the DEC has recommended air sparging, which uses injected air and vacuums to treat contaminated groundwater. The plan also recommends chemical oxidation, in which oxidants are injected into the ground, where the chemicals react with and break down the PCE into benign carbon dioxide or water. The plan calls for heavy DEC supervision of the property to ensure that contamination does not recur.
After the DEC reviews public feedback, Fonda explained, a final cleanup plan will be drawn up and presented to Bernstein for adoption and implementation.
