The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unveiled a treatment system that will
remove contaminants from ground water near the Lawrence Aviation Inc.,
Superfund site in Port Jefferson, N.Y. The treatment system, the second EPA has
installed to clean up contaminated ground water from the Lawrence Aviation
site, is housed about one mile away from the Lawrence Aviation property. The
ground water near the Lawrence Aviation site is contaminated with volatile
organic compounds, potentially harmful chemicals that were used and disposed of
at the site. EPA added the Lawrence Aviation Inc. site to the Superfund
National Priorities list in 2000.
“The
activation of this ground water treatment system is a major step toward
cleaning up the legacy of pollution that resulted from the Lawrence Aviation
Inc., Superfund site,” says EPA regional administrator Judith Enck. “EPA not
only built the treatment system in an environmentally-sustainable manner, we
also worked closely with local officials to ensure they had a say in its
construction.”
The
treatment system pumps contaminated ground water from nearby wells, and
initially filters out sediments and debris. The water then is sent through a
device that blows air into the water to remove some of the volatile organic
compounds. The air and water then flow into carbon filters, where contaminants
are collected and absorbed. Clean water then is released into the Old Mill Pond
and Creek.
EPA broke
ground on the treatment system facility in October 2010, and worked with local
officials on the facility’s design. A local architectural firm assisted with
the design of the facility, and EPA purchased some of the materials for the
facility from local suppliers. EPA also used environmentally friendly materials
when building the facility, including soy-based foam insulation, cork flooring
and pervious pavement. The system will be operating for about 20 years in order
to bring levels of volatile organic compounds to an acceptable level for
protecting human health and the environment.
Founded in
1959, Lawrence Aviation Inc. was a manufacturer of titanium sheeting for the
aeronautics industry. Past disposal practices and the presence of leaking drums
at the site resulted in numerous violations cited by both the Suffolk County
Department of Health Services and the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation. In 1980 and 1981, the Department of Health Services
required Lawrence Aviation Inc. to remove a number of drums of waste materials
from the site. The drums contained the chemicals trichloroethylene and
tetrachloroethylene, as well as acids, waste sludge containing acid, salt
wastes and hydraulic oils. They conducted a second removal in 1997.
Between
September 2004 and April 2005, EPA conducted a cleanup action at the industrial
portion of the site. This activity included the disposal of hundreds of drums
of hazardous materials, the emptying and disposal of the contents of chemical
storage vats, and the stabilization of other waste materials.
The cost of
the treatment system is approximately $ 2 million, and has been paid for by the
Superfund. EPA is seeking to recover some of its costs from Lawrence Aviation
Industries Inc. and its owner.
