GREAT NECK, NY — The public is encouraged to weigh in on a proposed plan to address contamination at Former Imperial Cleaners in Lake Success.
“Based on the findings of the investigation, (the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), in consultation with the New York State Department of Health, has determined that the site poses a significant threat to public health or the environment,” officials said. “This decision is based on contamination of on-site soils and groundwater with Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).”
VOCs are chemicals that both vaporize into the air and dissolve into water, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and are pervasive in daily life because they are used in transportation, agriculture, and day-to-day activities around the home.
The state’s environmental conservation department has proposed a remedy to address the contamination, which can be found below.
The Draft Remedial Work Plan consists of:
- Removal and off-site disposal of VOC-impacted soils from two drywell structures located near the south-west corner of the site;
- Excavation and disposal of VOC-impacted soils from beneath the basement floor slab of the on-site building;
- Removal and off-site disposal at a NYSDEC approved disposal facility; of approximately 75 cubic yards of contaminated soil
- Collection and analysis of confirmatory samples taken from the excavated areas to document removal of contaminated soil required to meet the remedial objectives;
- Importation of clean material (sand and/or gravel) that meets the established Soil Cleanup Objectives for use as backfill;
- Implementation of a Health and Safety Plan and an Air Monitoring Plan during all ground intrusive activities;
- Installation of a sub-slab depressurization system (SSDS) in the on-site building to protect building occupants from potential exposure to VOCs from soil vapor intrusion (SVI) of VOCs into the indoor air;
- Installation of an air sparge/soil vapor extraction system to enhance VOC removal from perched groundwater and soil at the site;
- Development of a Site Management Plan (SMP) for long term maintenance of the remedial systems; and
- Recording of an Environmental Easement to ensure proper future use of the site.
The state’s environmental conservation department is accepting written comments about the proposed plan from May 11 through June 27, 2022.
More details about the proposal and how to comment can be found on the DEC’s factsheet. It’s in PDF format — and you can save, open, and read it by using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it here: https://www.dec.ny.gov/about/590.html.
