By Hector Flores
Farrell was not the only homeowner to express such concerns. Close to 40 other residents from St. Marks Avenue, Merrick Road and the surrounding community attending a recent meeting hosted by Nassau County Legislator David Denenberg (D-Merrick) at his Bellmore office. Among those attending the session, which was intended to address the spill or spills, were Hess Corporation representatives.
Earlier in August, the Hess station gas spill became the main topic at Denenberg's monthly town-hall meeting at the Bellmore Library.
Farrell's home, just south of the Hess station on St. Marks Avenue, was the first home inspected for possible petroleum contamination. The Nassau County Board of Health, which sent its tests to Albany for analysis, has yet to provide her with the results, however.
"Levels of MTBE [methyl tertiary butyl ether] were found in the home," Farrell said. "But there is no level of standard available to determine their seriousness." MTBE is an ingredient in gasoline that is reported to harm the environment and human health.
Farrell also worries about losing her home, which was built in 1689. "In the last nine years, we have spent over $100,000 in restoration alone," she said. "That includes the interior and the backyard, which cost $40,000. But what makes matters worse is that all our renovations weren't done by private contractors; they were done by ourselves. We have remortgaged twice in the last year, and if we are forced to move out, we will lose everything."
The original spill apparently occurred in 1988, when Hess decided to redo its Bellmore station by removing old underground holding tanks, which were stainless steel and single-walled. The old tanks were replaced with new tanks and lines, according to Hess. The replacment tanks are said to be corrosion-proof, made of fiberglass and doubled-walled. During the rehabilitation, Hess discovered the leak.
The company reported the leak to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which is directing the cleanup of the spill. Hess then began an investigation to determine the size and location of the contamination. It also collected data to design a cleanup system for the spill. Additionally, contaminated soil and groundwater were removed from the area.
In 1994, Hess installed two cleaning systems: a groundwater pump-and-treat system, which removes groundwater, filters it and discharges clean water; and a soil-vapor extraction system, which vacuums fuel vapors from the soil. The cleaning systems also included placement of monitoring wells to track the cleanup and contamination.
"All our data showed that our installed systems were successfully containing the contamination and cleaning up the problem," said Peter Haid, environmental manager for Hess. "We continued to monitor the wells and found that cleanup had reduced gasoline contamination substantially over time. We were fully anticipating a successful cleanup of this site."
In June 2002, however, a small amount of petroleum product was discovered in one of eight wells, and this was followed by a sudden rise in petroleum concentrations in two other wells. According to Haid, the new concentration was higher than anything previously recorded, and the existing cleanup system could not handle the new increase and was thus turned off.
An investigation of the new readings followed, beginning with the tanks and their lines. The tanks' emergency Leak Detection and Prevention System was tested by a private contractor, who found no new leaks from the tanks.
"We have since repeated the testing in July 2003," said Haid. And, as before, no new leaks were detected by tests or by the on-site monitoring equipment. "Based on these tests, we are confident that the station's tanks and lines are not the source of the increase in contamination," Haid said.
He added that the tanks' and lines' stability was corroborated by the drop in groundwater contamination levels since the sudden rise in 2002. But the cause of the June 2002 petroleum spike has yet to be determined. The site is being investigated to determine the extent of contamination and an eventual cleanup plan.
Hess believes that the discrete event that caused the contamination may have been gasoline spills on a non-paved surface. The spill may have caused contamination equal to or greater than previously recorded levels. To prevent this from happening again, Hess is installing curbing around the tank filling area and sealing the tank dispensers.
Denenberg, however, was not pleased with Hess' explanation for the spill, and believes that cleanup of the 1988 contamination was only partial. "I think, at best, the numbers show a slight reduction, but the truth is, it wasn't getting worse and it wasn't getting better," he said. "My question immediately is, what happened between 1988 and 1994? How much of the contamination moved beyond the area that contained the monitoring wells?"
Denenberg said the monitoring wells were found only in the immediate area of the Hess station and on the Farrells' property. As a result, there was no way to know the true extent of the 1988 contamination. The contamination could have spread to the water table and soil under surrounding homes.
"The DEC messed up by waiting six years to put in a cleanup system and monitoring wells," Denenberg said. "The recovery well, the well that pumps water back into the pump-and-treat system, was never tested. I don't see any tests that show the zone of influence for the cleanup system. There is no way of knowing how much groundwater has been pumped back into the recovery well."
Hess representatives assured Denenberg and homeowners that the site will continue to be investigated, with more monitoring wells. A new, larger cleanup system is expected to be operational by October 2003.
Hess has set up a 24-hour, toll-free number -- 866-873-4377 -- to answer questions or address concerns about the Bellmore spill.
Residents who want their homes tested for petroleum contamination should call the Nassau County Health Department at (516) 571-3410.
