Firm to check radiation levels at New Hyde Park soccer fields

The North Hempstead Town Council last week approved a $4,500 contract with Bohemia-based P.W. Grosser Consulting so the company can perform an investigation into radiation levels on the I-Park soccer fields in New Hyde Park.

In November, officials with the state Department of Environmental Conservation closed the soccer fields after finding slightly elevated radiation levels. Martin Brand, a department deputy commissioner, said in November the radiation levels “do not pose a threat to public health.”

Part of the land where the soccer fields sit was once a Unisys Defense Systems Corp. facility. Unisys was acquired by Loral Corp. in 1995, and Lockheed Martin purchased Loral in early 1996. Under Unisys, workers on the site dumped chemicals into dry wells that eventually seeped into ground water.

DEC officials mandated Lockheed Martin to conduct a $32 million cleanup plan in 2015. The cleanup included using extraction wells that treat and remove water at the 94-acre site.

Town spokeswoman Carole Trottere said Tuesday that DEC officials have cleared the soccer fields for public use, but the town wanted a final test to ensure the fields are safe.