By Patti Mulligan
The LIRR, in conjunction with the DEC, the New York State Department of Health and the LIRR's own environmental consultant, has developed a plan to investigate soil and groundwater contamination at 17 LIRR electrical substation sites throughout Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties. The plan will be carried out under the provisions of the DEC Voluntary Cleanup Program.
Work at the Rockville Centre substation is scheduled to begin in early fall and last five to seven days. The substation is a single-story brick building on Maple Avenue, one block north of Sunrise Highway, off Long Beach Road. The 1,740-square-foot building, built by the LIRR in the early 1930s, sits next to a fenced 2,160-square-foot LIRR transformer yard.
According to the DEC, until the 1980s the building housed mercury rectifiers, devices used to power LIRR locomotives and electric passenger cars. The rectifiers were removed in the 1980s and replaced with non-mercury-containing equipment. But according to the DEC, the operation and maintenance of the rectifiers may have affected the site and the surrounding environment.
The DEC advises that the cleanup should not raise public-health concerns, maintaining that a health and safety plan will be followed, providing for protection of workers as well as the surrounding community. Claire Pospisil, spokeswoman for the Department of Health, said, "At this point in our investigation we are not aware of any health concerns for residents. We are monitoring the remediation efforts to ensure the health and safety of the community."
DEC officials expect the investigation to determine the nature and extent of mercury contamination at the targeted substations. Separate reports will detail the results. After reviewing the reports, the DEC will determine if remediation of the sites is necessary. "This investigation will fully identify where contamination might exist on the property," said Maureen Wren, a DEC spokeswoman. After investigations are completed, Wren said, "Based on the results, the Long Island Rail Road and NYSDEC will work together to develop a site-wide remediation plan to address any contamination."
The Rockville Centre site is not in an area where commuters board trains, and according to the DEC, the LIRR plans to continue using the site. There is no nearby platform, and the site is "set back from the street, not necessarily visible or publicly accessible," Wren said.
According to the DEC, in 1998 the substation was included as part of an initial cleanup of operations involving mercury. A March 1999 report detailed the cleanup activities, including air sampling, removal and disposal of visible mercury and mercury-contaminated objects, floor washing and chemical neutralization. From June 1999 to October 1999, the LIRR hired Dvirka & Bartilucci Consulting Engineers (D&B) to assess mercury-related conditions at electrical substations. A records search, an evaluation of environmentally sensitive areas surrounding the stations and soil testing were performed.
The findings were compiled in a December 2000 report entitled "Site Assessment of 20 Substations for Mercury Contamination," prepared by D&B. The assessment revealed that mercury contamination existed inside the substation in areas around former locations of the mercury rectifiers, near the building's entrance and exits, outside the substation and in various on-site underground pits and manholes. Contamination was found at other substations as well, including sites in Hempstead, Far Rockaway and Valley Stream.
Based on the findings, the LIRR performed "interim remedial measures" at various substations, including the Hempstead, Far Rockaway and Valley Stream sites. In the spring of 2000, remedial measures were conducted to excavate and properly dispose of mercury-contaminated soil. According to the DEC, the excavated areas were filled with stone. Soil samples collected from the bottom of the excavation sites showed that mercury remained, and exceeded soil cleanup objectives. The findings were documented in a report entitled "Site Assessment of 20 Substations for Mercury Contamination - Interim Remedial Measures Oversight Report," dated January 2001, also prepared by D&B.
According to the DEC, interim remedial measures were not conducted at the Rockville Centre substation.
Work plans for all of the substation sites were completed in June. The Rockville Centre work plans are available at the Public Library, 221 North Village Ave., Rockville Centre, NY 11570, (516) 766-6257. Separate reports detailing the investigation findings for each site will be generated at the conclusion of the investigations. After reviewing the reports, the DEC will determine if remediation of the sites is necessary.
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