Grumman signs on to plume cleanup

The cleanup of the toxic Navy Grumman plume, which has threatened public water supplies in many Nassau County communities, including Seaford, has taken another step forward.

Northrop Grumman has agreed to its role in the cleanup of the contaminants. The plume, which emanated from the old Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Bethpage, has moved beyond the Southern State Parkway in northern Seaford. More than 20 drinking wells have been affected. The South Farmingdale Water District had to built a treatment plant at its facility off Route 107 in Seaford, to ensure clean drinking water for residents in that area.

Under the order signed by the Department of Environmental Conservation, Northrop Grumman will be required to take part in the cleanup of groundwater. It also must work with the United States Navy to perform this remedial action.

The Navy and Grumman must construct a containment system to extract and treat groundwater, and continuing monitoring efforts. Last year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that passed both the Senate and Assembly requiring that the plume be contained and eventually removed.

DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens said the agreement with Northrop Grumman, known as a consent order, is a major step forward. The contamination is the result of military aircraft production dating back to the 1930s. Waste generated by industrial operations, including chromium, PCBs and volatile organic compounds, which consist of chlorinated solvents used to clean machines and make parts, were dumped into the ground.

The plume was discovered in the 1980s. It reached Hempstead Turnpike by 2000, and the Southern State Parkway by 2012.

“The DEC will continue to require the responsible parties to perform extensive monitoring and remediation as part of an overall remedy to protect public health and the environment,” Martens said.

“It’s been a long-time coming,” said Phil Franco, president of the Seaford Harbor Civic Association. “It doesn’t cover the full scope of what we were hoping for, but at least it’s a start.”