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AUGUST 30-SEPTEMBER 12, 2002
VOL. 40 NO. 35 SERVING BETHPAGE, ISLAND TREES, OLD BETHPAGE, PLAINVIEW, SEAFORD AND PLAINEDGE FORTY CENTS
Bethpage Community Park Information Updated
Please be assured that I share your concerns and that I am doing everything
within my power to bring the responsible parties together to resolve this issue
as expeditiously as possible. I will continue to keep you informed as new
information becomes available.
For more information, contact, Mark Lowery, Regional Citizen Participation
Specialist, NYSDEC, 631 -444-0350 or visit the NYSDEC Web site at
www.dec.state.ny.us/website/reg1/.
Very truly yours,
John Venditto
Town Supervisor.
Bethpage Memorial Gathering
Remembering the Victims
Honoring the Heroes
On Wednesday, September 11 a special gathering is being held to honor the
victims and remember the hoeroes of the tragedies of one year ago. At 6:45-
7:30pm the churches and synagogues throughout Bethpage will be holding
prayer services and liturgies each in their own faith...in their own way.
Following the religious services, the congregations will march in a candlelight
procession to the Bethpage Memorial Gathering in downtown Bethpage.
At 8:00pm a candlelight vigil will be held at the Rotary Memorial in parking
lot B-5 - south of the LIRR - on Stewart Avenue, across from 7-Eleven.
There will be an interfaith service to comfort families, friends and neighbors
of the victims of 9/11. The prayer offering will also honor all of the rescue and
recovery workers and give thanks for the generosity of people whose financial
and emotional support have sustained the surviving victims of this act of
terrorism.
The candlelight vigil is being sponsored by an ad hoc committee that in­cludes
clergy, elected officials, members of the Bethpage Fire Department,
Chamber of Commerce and various other civic organizations.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE CALL COUNCILWOMAN MARY
MCCAFFERY AT 624-6319. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR PLACE OF WORSHIP
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS WELL AS EXACT TIME SCHEDULES
FOR EACH REGILIOUS SERVICE.
WELCOME
BACK
EVERYONE!
It's Back to School Time
Supervisor John Venditto recently composed a letter which appears on the
Town of Oyster Bay Website. We wanted to provide residents with the informa­tion
in that letter as well as some additional facts in regards to the Bethpage
Community Pool. We will also be updating the community as new information
is received.
Dear Resident,
I am taking this opportunity to update you on the PCB contamination at the
Bethpage Community Park and nearby residential properties.
I have indicated in previous communications to residents that elevated
levels of PCB's were found in test soil samples taken earlier this year at the
park and, more recently, at nearby residential properties. At the urging of the
Town, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
(NYSDEC) convened a public meeting on June 19 to inform the community
about the contamination and plans for further testing. While the DEC and the
New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) indicated that there were no
immediate health concerns due to the contaminants, after careful consider­ation
of all of the facts and the concerns of the community, I opted to keep the
park closed until more information was known. In addition to closing the park
following the disclosure of PCB contamination, the Town has been working
closely with State and federal officials to resolve this issue.
SOME OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
* The NYSDEC, which is the agency responsible for overseeing soil testing and
the remediation process, has determined that, much, if not all, of the contami­nation
in the park and nearby residential properties is the result of waste
disposal activities by Northrop Grumman and the Navy.
* The NYSDEC has put Northrop Grumman and the Navy on notice that they
must now move to the next phase of the investigation and remediation process.
* The Town has contacted Congressman Peter King and is working closely with
him to convince both Northrop Grumman and the Navy to comply with the
NYSDEC's request.
*The NYSDEC is in the process of convening a meeting with Northrop
Grumman, the Navy, the Town and other involved agencies to resolve out­standing
issues.
*The Town has retained outside legal counsel to advice us regarding this
matter. Some of the issues counsel will be exploring are how the Town can
negotiate with, or otherwise compel, the responsible parties to clean up the
park, and if they refuse to do the work, what legal remedies the Town has to
recover the cost of the cleanup from them.
ADDITIONALLY , THE TOWN:
* Asked the NYSDEC/DOH to test residential properties that immediately abut
the Northrop Grumman Plant 24 access road. Seven of the 20 properties
tested were found to contain PCBs above the federal standard. The NYSDEC
has indicated that further, more comprehensive testing will be done to the 20
properties. As lead agency, the NYSDEC is dealing directly with the home­owner
regarding testing and the results of those tests.
*Asked the NYSDEC/DOH to conduct testing of residential properties beyond
those that abut the access road. The NYSDEC has indicated that as their
investigation continues, they will test additional properties as the data indicates
is warranted.
"Engaged an outside environmental consultant to take soil samples in the park,
which were then compared to additional samples taken by the NYSDEC and
NYSDOH. The results of these tests confirmed the initial findings that some
areas of the park do have elevated levels of PCBs. The consultant is continu­ing
to review all that data given to the Town by the NYSDEC/DOH.
*Took remedial measures recommended by the NYSDEC/DOH, which included
covering all open dirt areas in the park.
* Mailed informational letters to the park district residents, one informing them
of the contamination and the closing of the park and another inviting resident to
the NYSDEC meeting on June 19.
One of the questions I know is on the minds of many residents is when will
the park reopen. Following discussion with the NYSDEC and NYSDOH, the
Town will, in the next few weeks, be reevaluating the decision to close the park
with an eye toward a partial opening of some facilities. As for the remediation, it
is premature, at this point, to speculate on a time frame for remediation to take
place, but the Town is doing everything in its power to expedite the process.