Governor Cuomo Announces Plan to Build $585 Million Containment System to Treat Navy and Grumman Plume in Nassau County

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the release of the final selected remedy to fully contain and treat the plume of contamination caused by industrial waste from U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman manufacturing facilities in Oyster Bay, Nassau County. In 2019, the Department of Environmental Conservation's comprehensive investigation of the nearly four-mile long and two-mile wide underground plume confirmed that construction, long-term operation and maintenance of an estimated $585 million full plume containment and treatment system is feasible and can effectively halt the further spread of contaminants.

"My top priority is protecting the health of New Yorkers, and we'll never wait for polluters to clean up their mess when it's most convenient for them," Governor Cuomo said. "The people of Bethpage deserve immediate action to treat the severe contamination caused by this plume and to stop it from spreading. We're moving forward with an aggressive plan engineered to achieve the highest cleanup standards possible, and if necessary we'll go to court to force the polluters to pay for it."

The Department of Environmental Conservation's analysis and proposed Amended Record of Decision was released for public comment in May 2019. DEC received more than 200 comments on the plan during the public comment period. The final remedy, developed in consultation with the State Department of Health, and after a rigorous review of the comments received, is a comprehensive plan to contain and clean up the plume and hold the responsible parties — U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman — accountable for its implementation. DEC's chosen alternative includes the construction of 24 groundwater extraction wells, five treatment plants, four recharge basins and approximately 24 miles of conveyance piping. The estimated cost to construct and operate the system is $585 million.

DEC is demanding that Navy and Grumman implement the selected plan as soon as possible and will use all legal and regulatory authority to compel them to act. If the responsible parties decline to act, DEC will begin construction of the new system using State resources. 

As part of the Superfund process, the State's expanded engineering investigation and a proposed Amended Record of Decision were made available for review on the DEC website. DEC accepted comments on the proposed plan from May 23 through July 8. A public meeting to present the detailed plan was held on June 10 at the Bethpage High School, in Bethpage, NY.  

The final remedy documents, including a description of the new remedy and a summary of and a response to all public comments received, can be found on the DEC's webpage. 

Senator Kevin Thomas said, 

Containing and treating the groundwater contamination from the Grumman/Navy Plume is of critical importance to the safety of our residents and our way of life. I am grateful that we are moving forward in the process of resolving this top-priority issue, which has affected generations of Long Islanders. I look forward to working with the Governor's Office and NYS DEC to ensure the long-term health of our public drinking water and the safety of our communities in Nassau County."