‘Tired of waiting’: Cuomo unveils plan to contain Bethpage plume

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans Friday to clean up the toxic plume spreading from the former Grumman property in Bethpage.

News 12 Staff

Feb 8, 2019, 10:58 PM

Updated 1,901 days ago

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans Friday to clean up the toxic plume spreading from the former Grumman property in Bethpage.
The poisonous mixture of chemicals was left behind from an era when Grumman and  the Navy were manufacturing aircrafts.
Cuomo says he is moving forward with a promise made in 2017 to contain the plume. He also said the state will sue the Navy and Grumman for the clean up after it is done.
"The water is poisoned, it's been a bureaucratic finger-pointing between the federal government and the Navy," Cuomo said.  "I'm tired of waiting, we are going to clean up those hot spots. We're gonna get it done."
State officials say they will release an expanded engineering and groundwater study and present new options for containment.
They say the plume is now four miles long and two miles wide and is heading towards Massapequa in the underground aquifer.
Environmentalists agree that the time is now to take action.
"The longer we wait to clean up that plume, the more dangerous it is to drinking water supplies," says Adrienne Esposito, of the Citizen’s Campaign for the Environement.
Public hearings on the state's plan to contain and clean up the Grumman plume are expected to be held in the next few months.
Clean up costs in 2017 were estimated at $150 million.
 


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