After more than 25 years of management by state and federal agencies, the area surrounding Stanton Cleaners in Great Neck has been downgraded from a significant threat to the environment to one that requires continued management.
The site was rendered toxic from nearly 30 years of contamination by a widely used dry cleaning chemical, tetrachloroethylene, or PERC.
“We’ve removed more than 16,000 pounds of PERC,” said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Spokesman John Senn. “It’s a significant amount for sure.”
The EPA has been involved in the site at 110 Cuttermill Road in Great Neck Plaza since the late 1990s, but will transfer responsibility to the state Department of Environmental Conservation sometime next year.
“We’re overseeing ambiant air-quality monitoring at the site, as well as some monitoring at two local schools in the area,” he said, adding that the EPA has not detected PERC at a level that would impact human health or the environment. “It is something we deal with in this region a lot.”
The contamination was first discovered in 1983 after low levels of PERC were detected in drinking water at nearby water supply wells. Three Water Authority of Great Neck North wells are located 1,000 feet south of the dry cleaners, with “contaminated groundwater from the site” being “drawn toward” and impacting the well field, according to documents from the DEC.
The Stanton Cleaners Area Groundwater Contamination site, as it is known, covers the villages of Great Neck Plaza, Great Neck Estates, and University Gardens, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
As part of a consent order between Stanton and the DEC, a treatment for Water Authority wells that “never worked reliably” was installed in 1985. The system currently in place was installed in 1998, an air stripper that treats up to 2,000 gallons of water per minute and PERC in concentrations of up to 3,400 parts per billion.
To deal with on-site contamination, systems at Stanton Cleaners were installed to treat groundwater and remediate contaminated soil. Systems were also installed to prevent indoor air contamination at an adjacent school, and an indoor tennis club, which was demolished in 2009.
Although some maintenance is required, Senn said the systems are designed to operate for decades.
“The levels at the site are being minimized so that they no longer present any sort of threat to either humans or the environment,” he said.
The EPA has been responsible for cleanup and management, with the DEC pitching in 10 percent for cleanup, said DEC spokesman Bill Fonda. He said there is no “firm schedule” for the turnover, which will require a transfer agreement.
“Once it is transferred to the DEC, we pay 100 percent,” he said.
