State to Test Wells in Northrop Grumman Plume

MASSAPEQUA, NY - New York State will be conduct testing to further analyze the nature of the Northrop Grumman plume in Massapequa, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced on Thursday.

In addition, the state has ordered Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy to open access to monitoring wells in order to obtain the samples that will be tested by the state and Massapequa Water District.

Earlier this week, Schumer called on the U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman to share data from their monitoring wells with all affected Long Island Water Districts.

In November, the Massapequa Water District requested access to the wells in order to perform an isotope analysis on water from the Superfund site in Bethpage in order to test whether the contaminated water had the same chemical composition as the water in the monitoring wells.

As of December, the Navy and Northrop Grumman were still reviewing the Water District’s request, according to a press release from Schumer’s office.

“There have been too many questions about the extent of contamination caused by this plume and residents are frustrated with the lack of answers from the Navy and Northrop Grumman,” Cuomo said. “They are right and today, with Senator Schumer, we are stepping in to conduct our own testing, as well as enable local officials to undergo their own independent analysis. This action will allow us to develop an action plan to ensure that the health and safety of this community is protected.”

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will gather groundwater samples from six priority monitoring wells installed and maintained by Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy to perform a compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of water samples from the Grumman plume.

In addition, the Massapequa Water District will also be provided the opportunity to sample, so it can conduct its own analysis.

State testing will be expanded if needed and results will be shared with the water districts as soon as they are available.

“New York State’s swift move to require testing of the wells and access to vital data on any potential contamination is just what the doctor ordered for the worried residents of Massapequa, Bethpage and South Farmingdale,” Schumer said. “I will work with the Governor, Assemblymember Saladino and the water districts to keep the Navy’s-and-Grumman’s feet to the fire when it comes to more actively monitoring and remediating this toxic plume that threatens the drinking water of so many Long Islanders.”

The Grumman plume is one mile wide and three miles long, extends to depths in excess of 600 feet and emanates from the original 635-acre Grumman facility.

The plume impacts some water supply wells in Nassau County, which have since been equipped with treatment systems.

Currently, Massapequa Water District’s drinking water wells are not impacted by the plume. In addition, sentinels wells located north of the district’s water well have not yet detected contamination.