The cleanup of toxic chemicals at a Superfund site in Garden City Park that was formerly occupied by a termite extermination facility has been completed, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Work to clear soil and asphalt contaminated with chlordane and other pesticides on the one-third acre site at 131 Herricks Road was begun in September 2010 and completed in October 2011, DEC officials said.
A DEC report released last week stated that approximately 760 tons of soil and asphalt were removed from the former site of Fumex Sanitation, which maintained its business there from 1952 to 1992.
The DEC also removed a drywell from the site and installed a new stormwater management system, which connects to the Nassau County stormwater system.
The DEC has declared the site suitable for commercial reuse.
But the report said that since traces of contamination remain the state is developing a site management plan to ensure that the environment is protected.
The cleanup also has rendered off-site areas located off Bedford Avenue suitable for unrestricted use, according to the DEC report.
A final engineering report on the site is currently being prepared by the state DEC. Long-term management of the site will include sampling of groundwater wells and environmental easements to prevent possible exposure to residual soil and groundwater contamination.
The DEC report noted that the unpaved parking lot of Fumex Sanitation had been sprayed regularly with chlordane to control insects from 1952 to 1978. In 1981, after the parking lot had been paved, a chlordane rinse water spill of less than 30 gallons occurred in the parking lot. Some of that rinse water entered a dry well in the parking lot.
In 1986, the DEC entered into an order of consent with Fumex to determine the extent of contamination in the soil and groundwater. Remedial investigations revealed the presence of contaminants, including chlordane, heptachlor and dieldrin.
J. Barwick Landscape & Site Developers of Glenwood Landing, NY and Groundwater Environmental Services,Inc. of Hauppauge, NY conducted the cleanup under the oversight of the state DEC.
