Lundy Site: Closer to Cleaner Soil

Soil cleanup at the Lundy / Trans Technology site in Glen Head could begin in about four months and be completed in about a year, according to a presentation made by Tara Diaz, Project Manager, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation.

About 40 people, mostly from Todd Estates, gathered at the Middle School on March 2, to learn about the Proposed Remedial Action Plan (PRAP) for soil cleanup. The site is a 7.75-acre property west of the railroad tracks and south of the stores on the north side of Glen Head Road, where a residential subdivision has been discussed (see Cleaning Up Soil at the Lundy Site, February 24). Todd Estates is located at the northern end of the parcel.

According to DEC documentation, the Lundy Electronics Company began manufacturing operations at the site in 1950s. Solvents, including trichloroethene (TCE), were reportedly used, and plating wastes and suspended solvents were discharged to on-site cesspools and leaching pools. Trans Technology purchased the property in 1978 and ceased operating in Glen Head in 1994. The buildings were then occupied by various small businesses, virtually all of which have moved out.

The PRAP recommends replacing 1,200 cubic feet of soil with clean soil. Nineteen cesspools or leeching pools would also be cleaned (6 were previously cleaned). The estimated cost of the project is $532,000, to be paid by the owner.

Questions from the audience focused primarily on the possibility that vapors might be released from soil during the clean up process, whether the drinking water supply would require special protection during the clean up, the extent of groundwater contamination and the possibility of contaminated runoff, whether the clean up would permit intrusion from any contamination on other sites, and who would pay for the cleanup if the owner runs out of money.

Next month, DEC will issue a Record of Decision that will describe the recommended remedy and include the agency’s response to public comments. The DEC contact is William Fonda, DEC Region I, Stony Brook (631-444-0350)