High Levels Of Radium Detected In Groundwater Under Bethpage School

BETHPAGE, NY - Elevated levels of radium have recently been found at Central Boulevard Elementary School school officials announced recently.

According to a statement from the Department of Environmental Conservation, the detections pose "no health concerns for students, staff, or visitors to the schools or the neighboring community."

The groundwater samples were collected at monitoring wells at the school as well as Bethpage High School on August 18.

The Bethpage Union Free School District and its consultant, J.C. Broderick and Associates, Inc. performed tests on the samples to analyze for radiological parameters, including radium.

The school district performed the test after a previous test in June at the high school tested positive for raduim. In addition, the DEC performed a scan at the high school with appropriate radiation-detecting

instrumentation of surface soils at select areas around the school, including lawns and playing fields.

The schools are served with water from the Bethpage Water District which is rigorously tested, including monitoring for radium, and free of contamination which showed there was no on-site sources of radium contamination present at the high school.

"The Bethpage School District has been conducting extensive environmental testing for the past nine

years and each time we receive a report the results are posted to our website for the community and
staff to review," the Bethpage School District wrote in a statement.

The district had not received a written report but has gotten verbal reports that radium was detected in the groundwater at levels similar to Bethpage High School.

"Nothing is more important than the safety of our students and staff and the results to date have demonstrated we have no immediate health concerns in any of our schools. Once we receive the report, it will be posted to our website," the statement from the district read. "The Board of Education has been actively engaged with this issue for almost a decade and has authorized testing that far exceeds what is typical of a school district. We will continue our independent environmental monitoring and will work closely with the DEC and the New York State Department of Health."

In a joint statement from Dr. Marc Herman, Oyster Bay Supervisor candidate; Dr. Dean Hart, Clerk candidate; Bob Freier, Town Council candidate; Eva Pearson, Town Council candidate, James Versocki, Town Council candidate, the local candidates called for officials to expedite the containing and cleaning up of the Bethpage Plume.

"The ‘Bethpage Plume,’ has been a black eye in our community for too long. And, only until recently, have elected officials been taking the issue seriously, as opposed to tossing it around like a political football," the statement read.

In addition, last month Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino announced he was going to assemble a team to hold polluters "accountable for the costs of remediation and alleviate costs to taxpayers" and the Town along with the DEC executed an Access Agreement that compels Grumman to test the Bethpage ballfields for soil contamination, including radioactive and other harmful materials.

“Our residents have waited long enough for the responsible parties to do the right thing and once and for all remove these harmful chemicals from our groundwater and soil," Saladino said. "Grumman must be held accountable for their actions and our taxpayers need protection from the financial burden associated with this massive cleanup. The public and taxpayers should not have to pay for the nuisance when billion dollar firms have gained fortunes at the expense of the health, safety and welfare of this community. ”

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