Long Island Park Soil Tests Show More Hazardous Contaminants

Authorities on Thursday said tests showed pesticides, toxic metals and petroleum products in the soil of a Long Island park where asbestos had already been detected, and warned anyone in contact with the material "may have been put in jeopardy."

The Suffolk County district attorney has been probing several sites on Long Island where toxic materials have been dumped. Authorities have been trying to determine who is responsible.

The results released Thursday were for the original three sites, Roberto Clemente Park in Brentwooda vacant lot in Central Islip and a row of newly built homes for war veterans in Islandia.

At the park in Brentwood and lot in Central Islip, where asbestos had already been found, officials said hazardous materials including DDT, chlordane, arsenic, cobalt, lead and zinc were detected in further testing.

No asbestos was found in the soil under the row of veterans homes, the DA said, and results for the other contaminants are due back next week.

The original site was Roberto Clemente Park in Brentwood, where tens of thousands of tons of material were trucked in for a park improvement project. Then, the vacant lot on Route 111 was discovered and was "very similar in appearance" to what was found at the park, DA Thomas Spota said.
 
At the Islandia location, the homes were sold to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The project broke ground last year and veterans moved in about five months ago.
 
The group that built the homes, Long Island Builders Institute, says the three sites are linked by the same contractor.
 
Authorities say all 107 parks in Islip are being examined for contamination.
Contact Us