Federal EPA to complete review of Hauppauge Superfund site

The federal government plans to issue a review by late September of cleanup efforts at a Superfund site in Hauppauge where decades ago contaminants were found in the air and groundwater, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The former Computer Circuits Corporation, located on Marcus Boulevard in an industrial park, ran a circuit board manufacturing facility from 1969 to 1977 for commercial and military use.

The company was housed in a one-story building on a 1.7 acre lot, where it discharged “industrial wastewaters” into six on-site industrial cesspools, according to EPA documents. The site is located over an underground source of water and within a state-designated Wellhead Protection Area.

The Suffolk County Department of Environmental Control collected samples from the cesspools in 1976 and 1977, finding that levels of copper and lead were higher than permitted levels. A 1976 inspection also revealed trash, broken barrels, and spilled piles of chemicals and sludge, according to the EPA’s five-year review issued in July.

Copper and other contaminants such as potentially harmful volatile organic compounds were found in the groundwater and soil. Other contaminants such as trichloroethylene were detected inside the facility air.

The cesspools were filled in after the findings in 1977, and ongoing cleanup includes the use of soil vapor extraction systems and monitoring of groundwater and air. The EPA expects to issue its first review of the cleanup efforts by late September.

“As required by statute for sites where we leave hazardous pollutants on-site, it’s mandatory to review every five years. It’s a pretty standard review,” said EPA spokesman David Kluesner. The review will also note if any new regulatory requirements have been established recently.

A message left for the site owner, 145 Marcus Blvd. Inc., was not immediately returned.

Documents and further information on the site can be found at the Smithtown Library at 1 North Country Road, and at the EPA’s Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway in New York City.