The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a cleanup plan in October to address contaminated groundwater at the Fulton Avenue Superfund site in Garden City Park on Long Island, New York.
The final plan, formally known as a Record of Decision, calls for measuring contamination levels through long-term monitoring and restrictions on groundwater use to ensure residents are not exposed to groundwater contamination.
“The EPA is committed to protecting families in Garden City Park by ensuring their water remains clean,” said EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci. “This final cleanup plan reflects years of careful study, coordination with our state and local partners, and direct input from residents.”
The final cleanup plan will address groundwater contamination caused by past industrial activity at the site, including the presence of hazardous chemicals such as trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE).
The EPA’s final cleanup plan includes:
- Installing two new monitoring wells to better track the contamination
- Long-term monitoring to confirm that contamination levels are decreasing as a result of natural processes
- Restrictions on the use of certain groundwater and the prevention of activities that could expose people to contamination, such as installing private wells.
The plan finalizes the EPA’s 2015 interim cleanup approach that addressed PCE contamination and expands it to also address TCE contamination. The EPA studied the nature and extent of the groundwater contamination, evaluated alternatives including actively treating the groundwater, and considered public comments.
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