By:Jerry Burke
Since it was listed as a Class 2 Inactive Hazardous waste site by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation back in 1993, the parcel of land at 197 Franklin Ave. in Franklin Square has gone through many dry-cleaning tenants. Now, says the DEC, it's no longer the hazard it once was.
Calling in from Albany over the weekend, Assemblyman Tom Alfano said he and the DEC are setting up a public meeting on Monday, Feb. 9 at the Franklin Square Library to present the DEC's proposal for further regulation at what has become known as the Tres Bon Cleaners site, named so for the business that was operating there when the Nassau County Department of Health first found high levels of contaminants in 1988.
The site, says Alfano, has been deemed clean of harmful levels of perchloroethylene, or tetrachloroethylene, a chemical solvent used primarily by dry-cleaners that removes dirt and stains from clothing. The discharge of liquid "perc" into the sewer system is prohibited by county and state laws, unless prior authorization has been obtained and the chemical has been pretreated to neutralize its harmful effects.
The meeting, which Alfano says will review the history of the site and summarize the results of investigations completed to date and the rationale behind the Proposed Remedial Action Plan, will be held at 7 p.m. Residents will be given the opportunity to ask questions and comment on the proposed plan.
"I'm relieved that the site results show that Tres Bon is no longer contaminated," said Alfano. "I strongly feel that we have to look at ways to [take] ... action against those who dispose hazardous waste without any regard to public health. This kind of activity is outrageous."
Alfano explained that the library meeting with the DEC and Health Department will be informational in nature and will be a means to solicit community comment. "The meeting is a positive way for the public to hear the results of investigations, ask questions about the site and explore with health and environmental officials their concerns about the site," he said.
According to the DEC, past dry-cleaning operations at the site resulted in disposal of the hazardous wastes. In 1993, the department designated the Tres Bon Cleaners site as a class 2 site (meaning a "significant threat to public health or the environment," and that action was required), and, under an agreement with the DEC, the property owner conducted a remedial investigation to determine the nature and extent of the contamination.
Soon after the 1993 DEC classification, the Environmental Protection Agency implemented a well-closure plan for area water supplies. In 1999, Tres Bon and the DEC followed up the EPA plan with a cleanup plan.
According to Alfano, DEC investigation results from June 2003 concluded that the site no longer posed a threat to human health or the environment and that no further action would take place at the site. However, said Alfano, groundwater monitoring will continue to take place.
"Residents are encouraged to come to the meeting and hear the results first-hand of the DEC investigation," said Alfano, who added that "the experts and scientists will be able to address issues, from environmental to health-related aspects."
"The purpose of the meeting is to get citizen input and comments ... on continued monitoring and remediation of the site," said Alfano, who added, "Residents will be given a large say in what action should follow up at Tres Bon."
He concluded by saying that the site is currently vacant and no business is in operation. The last tenants, T&E Cleaners, vacated the property last summer.
Some environmental studies have suggested that repeated, frequent overexposure to "perc" over months or years may have long-lasting and possibly permanent effects on the nervous system, but that the exposure levels at which these effects occur are still unknown.
