Oyster Bay OKs well for Northrop Grumman plume remediation

The Oyster Bay Town Board has approved the installation of a well in a residential neighborhood in Bethpage for remediation of a portion of the Northrop Grumman groundwater contamination plume.

The approval at the town board’s March 7 meeting followed an agreement between Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation and the town to address concerns raised by residents in the immediate area.

Last year the town board had delayed a vote on the well after residents on Williams Street and Broadway who would be affected by the construction told the board they were concerned about the well’s potential impact on their health and property values. The agreement followed a meeting between Supervisor Joseph Saladino and residents the week before the vote.

The 35-point memorandum of agreement between the town and Northrop Grumman requires the company to limit the project’s impact on residents including limitations on construction hours, installing a noise wall, working with PSEG Long Island to avoid or limit disruptions of electrical and gas service to residents, and generally keeping the streets open to traffic.

The company also agreed to document the condition of the area before beginning the project and to pay for the town’s costs of hiring an environmental consultant to review the work.