Dec to present update on cleanup of veterans nature study area

[RJ]

Public Comment Period for Proposal Closes July 9
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in conjunction with the New York State Department of Health (DOH), will hold a public meeting to unveil an amended proposal for the cleanup of environmental contamination at the Veterans Nature Study Area Environmental Restoration Program site. The meeting is slated for 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 30, at the Bellerose Elementary School, 253 Bellerose Avenue, East Northport.

At the meeting, DEC staff will review the history of the site and describe the amended cleanup plan, which rather than focusing on consolidating and capping contaminated soils will now center on excavating and disposing of soils off-site.

The Veterans Nature Study Area Site is located off Bellerose Avenue in East Northport, which is part of the Town of Huntington, Suffolk County. The site is an undeveloped 34-acre parcel and was donated to the town in 1976 by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) with the stipulation that it be used for environmental education purposes for a period of 30 years starting in 1985

The site is largely wooded, with several unpaved roads, one paved road and a three-acre former disposal area in the middle of the site. There is a VA hospital to the north of the site, a school to the south and residences to the east. A large, undeveloped parcel that has been deeded to the town and the county as parkland lies to the west. Additional town and county parkland lies to the west (Knolls Park) and southwest (Veterans Park). The Veterans Nature Preserve Area is a permanent nature preserve with trails that are networked with other trails within the Veterans Park complex.

The property was owned by the VA and used for the disposal of solid waste over the years. Material was dumped in open trenches along with the burning of trash and the disposal of hospital incinerator ash through the late 1960's. The disposal area became contaminated with inorganic compounds, mainly lead from the ash, along with several pathways next to the site that were impacted with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) through oils contaminated with PCBs. The contaminated oils were used for dust control in the adjacent pathways leading to the disposal area. An interim remedial measure (IRM) performed by the Town of Huntington has already removed hazardous levels of PCB impacted soils from the adjacent pathways.

The public will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide comments on the amended cleanup plans. Written comments also may be submitted until July 9, 2010. For comments related to the technical aspects of the project, write to: Attn: Steven Scharf, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Environmental Remediation, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-7015, or e-mail at: sxscharf@gw.dec.state.ny.us. For health related comments, please send to: Attn: Jacquelyn Nealon, New York State Department of Health, 547 River St., Room 300, Troy, NY 12180-2216, or e-mail at: jen02@health.state.ny.us.

Copies of investigation reports and other site documents are available at the East Northport Public Library located at 185 Larkfield Road, East Northport, NY. Information is also available by calling