By:Laura Lane
The homes, owned by June MacDonald, Audrey Maher, and Joe Weinstein, lie due south of the dry-cleaner. High levels of contamination on Busy Bee's property have led the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation, state Department of Health, and Busy Bee's owner, Robert Bernstein, to work together to test neighbors' properties to be certain they, too, aren't contaminated.
Busy Bee, at 1818 Merrick Road, has been involved in a voluntary cleanup investigation of its property since March 2001. Testing done at the rear of its door in December 2003 and January 2004 indicated high levels of volatile organic compounds, including the dry-cleaning solvent tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE.
The Centers for Disease Control has found that PCE can cause a variety of cancers. After seeing the results of tests at Busy Bee, the state Department of Health and Environmental Conservation directed the dry-cleaner to test certain nearby residential properties.
The Alice Street homeowners were asked permission in early July to have their backyards tested. Maher, who has lived on Alice Street for nine years, said the three neighbors met to discuss the notice they received from Busy Bee. They all agreed testing was needed.
Busy Bee is responsible for having the properties examined. The testing will cost Busy Bee $350 to $400 per home. And the three properties may only be the beginning. Depending on results of tests from these three homes, other residences may be probed, as well.
Bill Fonda, a DEC spokesman, and Michael Roux, senior hydrogeologist with Roux Associates, said cost is a concern for Bernstein. "Robert wants to spend his money on the cleanup, but you can't jump to the end of the book without reading the chapters," said Roux. "We have to know everything first. We don't know what problems are off Robert's property. That's what we're doing now."
The soil gas testing took a half-hour to complete at each home. Roux and Michael Kroll, an environmental scientist with Roux, tested soil within 10 feet of the rear of each home by placing a rod three feet into the ground. The tubing in the rod drew air from underground into a canister. The samples were sent to a lab for analysis.
Roux said tests on the samples would reveal whether there are any contaminants on a homeowner's property. "The screening tests done so far at Busy Bee have given us an idea of how much volatile organic compounds there are, but it didn't break it down," said Roux. "This testing breaks down the compounds and will give us an idea of where else to look." He added homeowners would get the results in six weeks.
Groundwater samples collected at Busy Bee in December 2003 and January 2004 also indicated high levels of several volatile organic compounds, including PCE. As a result, in a month, Roux plans to test the groundwater on Alice Street. The company will install three temporary wells on public property.
"We need to determine what way the groundwater is flowing, and the wells will do this," said Roux. "If we do find high levels of PCE and other volatile organic compounds on private property, we can treat it." If necessary, Roux said the cost would fall on Busy Bee.
