State to begin environmental study in Copiague

The state Department of Environmental Conservation will begin an environmental study this month at a site in Copiague.

The study will be done on 1305 S. Strong Ave. The site is listed as one that “represents a significant threat to public health or the environment.”

The site, which has been empty since 2003, is about 45,400 square feet, with a two-story masonry building.

The site had been used for manufacturing tools, machines and metal, as well as by a wallpaper production company. Most recently it was a car and boat repair business.

Homes sit to the east and south, with industrial facilities to the north and west.

A previous investigation at the site revealed groundwater had been impacted by a contaminant plume primarily consisting of an industrial solvent called trichloroethane, or TCA, beneath 13 of the homes.

A “remedial investigation” will be performed under the state’s Superfund program, which identifies sites with “suspected inactive hazardous waste disposal.”

The information collected will be summarized in a report, with a determination of whether further action at the site is needed.

The work plan for the investigation is available for public review at the Copiague Memorial Public Library.