EPA seeks input on Hewlett Superfund site

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a proposed four-option plan to remove and treat contaminated groundwater from the Peninsula Boulevard Superfund Site in Hewlett.

The site is the former home of Grove Cleaners, which operated at 1274 Peninsula Blvd. from 1987 to 1992. The site, next to Woodmere Middle School, was added in 2004 to the Superfund list of the most contaminated hazardous waste sites.

A Tetrachloroethylene groundwater plume flows northwest from the site to the Long Island American Water Plant 5 Well Field, a source of drinking water. Water extracted there is treated to remove contaminants before distribution and is sometimes mixed with water from other sources, officials said.

"Volatile organic compounds can pose serious health risks -- especially in drinking water -- so removing them is the best way to protect the health of people who live and work in the area," EPA regional administrator Judith A. Enck said in a statement.

The preferred cleanup option is to use pumping wells to extract groundwater and remove contaminants. The second option is to use microorganisms to break down contaminants. The third option is to aerate groundwater and capture contaminants in air vapor. The last option is to take no action, officials said.

The EPA will hold a public meeting to discuss the plan Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Hewlett High School, 60 Everit Ave.

Written comments can be sent until Aug. 27 to: Gloria M. Sosa, Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10007-1866 or emailed to sosa.gloria@epa.gov.

To see the full plan, as well as a fact sheet, additional documents and news, go to http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/peninsulablvd/index.html. You can also join an EPA mailing list for updates on this Superfund site.