Bethpage-Tribune_2008-09-12

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IT'S ALMOST READY!
Opening of Bethpage Ice Rink Gets Closer
Residents in the Town of Oyster Bay will soon be welcoming a new "ice
age" With the opening of a brand new, state-of-the-art, enclosed ice skating rink
and facility, which is currently nearing completion in Bethpage Community
Park, according to Town Supervisor John Venditto.
"As the first Town-operated indoor rink, the Bethpage ice rink and facility
will be a destination for ice skaters and ice hockey players throughout the
Town," Supervisor Venditto stated. "The facility, which is totally handicapped
accessible, combines modem user amenities with an environmentally sensitive
and energy-efficient design. The exterior of the building is designed to reflect
the park setting and compliment the surrounding neighborhood. A patio area
connects the ice skating facility with the pool complex. Inside, the 85' x 200'
NHL-size rink features an energy efficient ice refrigeration system designed to
produce a first-rate ice surface year round. Rounding out the rink's amenities
are an electronic scoreboard; professional grade dasher boards; elevated bleach­er
seating that provides excellent viewing sight lines; low-pressure, overhead
infrared heating; netting for spectator protection; separate male and female
locker rooms with showers; referee room and lockers for patrons. The facility
also offers a food concession with both indoor and outdoor eating areas that
will serve rink and pool users; a brick, wood-fueled fireplace and seating area
reminiscent of the former ice rink; a pro shop and a skate shop. In addition,
there is a community room, complete with a drop-down screen, for use by local
organizations, that can be set up as one large room or partitioned into two
smaller rooms. Throughout the facility, a high efficiency heating and ventila­tion
system will ensure indoor air quality while conserving energy consump­tion."
The Supervisor went on to say that the skating rink, facility and community
room will all be operated by the Town's Parks Department. Skating sessions
will be structured very much like they have been in the past, with open skate .
hours for the public and hours set aside for league play. The fact that the rink
will be operational 12 months a year, including evenings, will give people more
time to enjoy the facility.
"My Town Board colleagues and I are committed to providing outstanding
parks and diverse recreational opportunities for our residents, and the Bethpage
Ice Skating Center is a prime example of how we are fulfilling that commit­ment,"
Supervisor Venditto stated. "It will be the kind of place where young
people and entire families can spend some quality leisure time all year round. I
am looking forward to the grand opening of what I know will be a very special
addition to the Town's already outstanding recreational facilities."
IMPORTANT UPDATE ON
NAVY RESTORATION
The following letter was sent out to
neighboring residents from the Navy
with regards to the ongoing environ­mental
restoration which is taking
place in our community. We decided to
print it so that all residents will be
informed as to the status of the restora­tion.
Dear Bethpage Resident:
I am writing this letter to keep you
informed regarding our ongoing envi­ronmental
restoration program at the
former Naval Weapons Industrial
Reserve Plant (NWIRP), Bethpage, NY.
Environmental investigations identified
"volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in
soil at the NWIRP. VOCs are a class of
chemicals that can evaporate easily into
the atmosphere and include solvents,
cleaners, and degreasers. These chemi­cals
were used at the facility from the
1940s to the 1990s and a portion of the
chemicals were released into the soil
and groundwater.
One of the sites with VOCs (the
Former Drum Marshalling Area, Site 1)
is adjacent to your neighborhood and we
wanted to share information regarding
the ongoing site investigation as soon as
possible. A treatment system operated at
the site from 1997 to 2002 and removed
most of the VOCs. However, sampling
conducted earlier this year found VOCs
at the NWIRP property line that borders
the northern part of 11th Street. Under
some conditions, VOCs can migrate out­ward
and into overlying buildings
through a process known as "vapor
intrusion" (see the attached fact sheet
for additional details). Although vapor
intrusion is uncommon, we feel strongly
that it needs to be investigated in this
case because VOCs have been found at
NWIRP and housing areas are relatively
close to the existing property boundary.
We are working closely with the New
York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (NYS-DEC)
to conduct additional testing to
determine if vapor intrusion may be an
issue beyond the NWIRP property.
During the coming weeks, we plan to
install wells in street right-a-ways
bounded by 10th and 11th Streets, and
Maple and Sycamore Avenues. Drilling
operations will be conducted during nor­mal
working hours, Monday through
Friday. Additional actions will be coor­dinated
with NYSDEC.
To answer any questions, the Navy
will be sponsoring'an informational
meeting at the Bethpage Community
Center, 103 Grumman Road West,
Bethpage, New York on Tuesday,
October 7, 2008 from 6:00-9:00 P.M.
The meeting will be informal and con­sist
of a series of poster stations to
explain the history of NWIRP and cur­rent
and planned future actions for the
site. Representatives from both the U.S.
Navy and the NYSDEC will be on hand
to answer questions. Community mem­bers
are encouraged to attend to learn
more about the ongoing project. We look
forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely,
LORAB. FLY
Remedial Project Manager
By Direction of the
Commanding Officer
FACT SHEET
What is "Vapor Intrusion?"
Vapor intrusion is the process by which
volatile chemicals move from an under­ground
source into the indoor air of
buildings or other enclosed structures.
Soil vapor, or soil gas, is the air found in
the spaces between soil particles. Over
time, volatile chemicals in the subsur­face
soils or groundwater can move into
and contaminate the soil vapor. Normal
heating, air-conditioning and ventilation
systems can create a negative pressure
inside buildings that draws these soil
vapors from the ground into overlying
buildings. Under certain conditions, soil
vapors can enter buildings through
cracks in slab floors, basement floors,
sump pumps or wherever electrical
wires or pipes penetrate the foundation.
Why is Site 1 being investigated for
potential vapor intrusion issues?
The Naval Facilities Engineering
Command has been working with the
New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC)
to identify and cleanup historical waste
storage and disposal sites at the former
Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant
(NWIRP) in Bethpage, NY. Part of this
process requires groundwater under the
Former Drum Marshalling Area (Site 1)
to be sampled and analyzed to determine
if it has been impacted by past industrial
operations. During the course of this
study, Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOCs) were found in the soil and
groundwater at Site 1. From 1997 to
2002, a treatment system was construct­ed
and operated at the site and removed
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