The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recently announced that toxic chemicals were found at a lumber yard on Falmouth Avenue in New Hyde Park. The DEC said in a notice distributed through its superfund program that operations at the site “have resulted in contamination of soil, groundwater and soil vapor at levels exceeding applicable standards.”
The DEC said significant contamination remains at the site but “does not appear to be migrating from the site in the groundwater.”
The site, owned by Seaboard Estates Inc., is located at 1801 Falmouth Ave. and sits a stone’s throw from New Hyde Park Memorial High School and Michael J. Tully Park. Seaboard did not return calls for comment.
“We’re aware that [the DEC] is looking at things,” Sewanhaka Central High School District School Board President Dave Fowler said. “Any time you have potential chemical issues, you’re concerned, but from what the DEC has told us thus far, there’s not immediate danger and they continue to monitor the situation.”
An investigation in March 2013 found aldrin, dieldrin, mercury, phenol, trichloroethane and trichloroethene at the site, according to the report. Some of these chemicals are commonly used as metal part degreasers.
Contaminants were discovered near a storm drain, a possible cesspool and under ground. The report also said indoor air quality near the site could be threatened by soil vapor intrusion (air spaces within the soil), “which in turn may move into overlying buildings,” but more testing is needed.
It also borders a well field used by the Water Authority of Western Nassau County.
“The Water Authority has been treating the water supply for the well located next to the Zoe Chemical site since the late 1980s,” the water authority said in a statement. “The chemicals that are in the well’s raw water are trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene. There are no other chemicals detected in the raw water. The Water Authority has a treatment plant the removes these chemicals from the water. After treatment there are no detections of any chemicals in the water. The water that is supplied to our customers is the treated water which is safe and meets all federal, state and local regulations.”
The DEC report said the site was once operated by Zoe Chemical and CDC Products Corp., which handled chemicals on the site. Materials were stored inside and outside of the building.
“I think they had done some drilling in a corner of the New Hyde Park Memorial High School field earlier this year,” said Fowler. “We’re going to monitor this as we go forward.”
Contaminants were found underground and can not harm residents, the report said.
“Detections of chlorinated volatiles, petroleum volatiles, semi-volatiles, pesticides and metals were detected above unrestricted use cleanup objectives,” the DEC reported.
