While excavating six 55-gallon barrels filled with chemicals at a Long Island park, environmental workers made a discovery: Even more barrels, between four and five of them, encased in concrete that were discarded decades ago.
“We are not pleased we found this but we are doing the proper investigative work,” said Sean Mahar, the interim commissioner for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
An environmental group hired by Northrup Grumman is in the process of an remediating contamination at the sight of a former ballfield at Bethpage Park. On April 1, they discovered six large barrels encased in concrete. On Monday, they began excavating them when they discovered other barrels they were not previously aware of.
“This is unacceptable and we are holding them accountable for addressing this finding,” said Mahar, who added the DEC is "making sure there was no release to the environment and getting these drums removed as quickly as possible."
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The chemicals on the first barrels discovered were tested and the second set of barrels were later sent for testing as well.
DEC said Tuesday night after removing the top layer of barrels, crews discovered a second and then a third layer of barrels.
“These chemicals are very dangerous. They don't belong in this park,” said Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino. “When Grumman left Long Island they took 20,000 jobs with them but they left their sins behind in this graveyard of contamination.”
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As a result of this recent discovery, the DEC said they are requiring Grumman to use ground penetrating radar to search for the existence of other barrels they may not know about. This search will now take place over the entire 18 acre park area and not just on the ballfields.
The area where the drums were found were once used by Grumman Aerospace to dump chemical waste. In the 1960s, the company gave the land to the town to serve as a park — built on contaminated land.
A spokesman for Northrup Grumman told NBC New York, “We are working closely with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and other stakeholders as we continue to conduct our ongoing remediation activities in Bethpage,” and that “we remain committed to protecting the health and well-being of the community as we address environmental conditions in Bethpage.”
The DEC says they are waiting for the results of the contents of the latest barrels and also to ensure no leakage has occurred.
