Update on the LI Groundwater Sustainability Study:
The $6 million study announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in February 2016 was stalled for 30 months awaiting needed funds to hire well drillers to begin the first phase of the DEC-USGS Long Island Groundwater Sustainability Study.
Nearly $2 million was needed to drill at least 12 new monitoring wells deep into the aquifers on the north and south shores of western Long Island.
On Sept. 21, the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced that the paperwork review and bureaucratic processes were completed at long last.
Well drilling will begin in 2019 and could take approximately one year to complete Phase One.
During the time waiting for the drilling funds, the United States Geological Survey worked on updating the groundwater model to be used in the study and expanding its database on water use.
The USGS has reported that its hydrologic data on deep ground-water conditions have not been updated in nearly 30 years.
The updated information is essential in order to understand current conditions of the deep groundwater system that could affect the long-term sustainability of the Magothy and Lloyd Aquifers.
The study will examine saltwater intrusion risk and predict the adequacy of groundwater supplies across Long Island over the next 30-plus years.
Navy-Grumman Groundwater Plume in Bethpage Update:
The clock continues to tick as the massive groundwater plume emanating from the Navy-Grumman site continues to migrate towards Nassau County’s south shore. A variety of meetings on the plume cleanup efforts were held over the past five months, including those sponsored by the state DEC/EPA/Navy-Grumman; Congressman Thomas Suozzi; and Long Island Pure Water.
Following the failure to devise a workable cleanup strategy to stop the plume migration southward by the HDR Consulting firm of Albany in 2016, the NYS DEC again hired HDR to develop a more focused plan to remediate the worst pollution “hot spots” and contain further migration. The plan is scheduled to be released to the public in October 2018.
In the late spring Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State would spend $150 million to lead the cleanup of the Bethpage plume, the largest groundwater plume in New York State.
Long Island Pure Water also brought a lawsuit against New York State and Navy-Grumman to fund a study on the presence of radiological contamination and to create a remediation plan specifically for these radioactive materials being detected in wells near the Navy-Grumman facilities.
In a separate lawsuit, 80 residents (or their estates) living in the Bethpage area have sued Northrop Grumman, alleging medical injuries – including death – from contamination originating at the military contractor’s facility.
EPA Moves To Weaken Protections To Radiation Exposure:
In a related matter, the US EPA is moving ahead to weaken protections and policies intended to prevent human exposure to radioactive materials.
The long-standing policy on radiation exposure has been that any exposure is harmful and a cancer risk.
The new EPA policy proposes that a little radiation damage is a good thing that spurs the immune system and the body’s repair functions.
Critics argue that a weaker exposure standard will put people at risk from workplace exposures and those living near Superfund sites, to name a few.
State Funding to Assist Emerging Contaminant Problems on Long Island:
In a new development on groundwater contamination problems, New York State announced on October 2, 2018, that it will provide $14.25 million to mitigate water quality problems caused by emerging contaminants, chemicals being detected in wells and groundwater, but are not yet regulated by state or federal drinking water standards.
Three communities will receive funds.
Wainscott will receive $9.7 million to extend public water supply mains to residents not yet connected to a public water system. South Huntington Water District will receive $3 million to remove 1,4-dioxane from a water supply well. Bethpage Water District will receive $1.65 million to treat 1,4-dioxane.
LICAP Renewed For Another 5-year Term:
The Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection received approval from Suffolk and Nassau County legislatures to continue in operation for another 5-year period.
LICAP was scheduled to sunset in December 2018.
Even though LICAP has not completed four of the eight direct mandates given to it when it was formed in 2013, LICAP’s term was extended.
In each county, the legislative members became involved in serious and heartfelt debates on the work and value of LICAP.
The inherent conflict of interest at LICAP was a major point of debate. The principle leadership of LICAP is made up of the Suffolk County Water Authority, and two other water-supplier professional associations.
SCWA boasted to county legislators that it drafted the authorizing ordinances that created LICAP. Even though LICAP has received $450,000 from New York State, it asked and was granted an additional $100,000 per year for the next five years from the two counties. This would bring the total funding promised to LICAP to nearly $1 million. Yet, LICAP has failed to complete a groundwater protection strategy or propose a regional management entity (which LICAP refuses to do). Water for Long Island and a number of other groups and members of the public spoke against the effort to reauthorize LICAP.
Glen Cove Nears a Fix for Freon Contamination in Its Drinking Water:
Of the six drinking water wells serving the city of Glen Cove, three have been affected by high Freon 22 levels.
The city has closed wells on and off as the Freon 22 levels have fluctuated. The city decided, as an interim measure, to purchase and install components of an unused air stripping system that could more quickly be made functional. This would return the affected well to service sooner while awaiting a custom-designed air stripping system to be constructed.
The city expects the interim air stripper to receive final approval for use in October 2018.
