Long Island MacArthur Airport Superfund site: State DEC, Islip negotiating agreement on cleanup, officials say

The state Department of Environmental Conservation is negotiating an agreement with the Town of Islip for cleanup at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, which was declared a state Superfund site in February, both the DEC and the town told Newsday.

DEC executive deputy commissioner Sean Mahar said Thursday that Islip, as the owner and operator of the airport, would be considered the responsible party for the cleanup. Investigative field work on the site is expected to commence later this year, he said.

"We're working directly on those negotiations [with the town] now; that will form the basis of the next steps in the process," Mahar said. 

The town declined to comment on whether it is responsible for the cleanup but town spokesperson Caroline Smith said a remedial investigation, which is a more detailed analysis of the full nature and extent of any contamination on the site, can begin once the agreement is drawn.

What happens after the DEC designates a Superfund site? Here are seven things to know:

What chemicals were found at MacArthur?

The DEC in February said it found perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, "at levels that exceed applicable standards" at the airport. The site was listed as a possible Superfund site in 2018 over concerns that past use and storage of perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, a chemical found in firefighting foams used at airports, could have contaminated drinking water supplies. 

Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter in March said the airport is required to keep the foam on site.

Smith said Wednesday the airport has not used the firefighting foam since 2019 and would only use the substance in an emergency, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Officials from town, environmental and water quality agencies repeatedly have said public water in the area is safe to drink.

What is a Superfund site?

The DEC Superfund site program is "the primary tool" at the state's disposal to clean up "improperly disposed hazardous waste," Mahar said.

The responsible party covers the cost of cleanup, or the state covers the cost if no guilty party is found. Costs vary on a case-by-case basis, Mahar said. An estimate for cleanup at MacArthur hasn't been determined. 

A draft of the cleanup plan for MacArthur will be put out for public comment before it's finalized, Mahar said. 

There are 49 Superfund sites under investigation or active remediation in Suffolk County and 93 in Nassau.

East Hampton Airport in Wainscott and Suffolk Airport Canine Kennel in Westhampton Beach are listed as state Superfund sites, along with MacArthur, according to the DEC.

"It can be scary to have a Superfund site listed in your community," Mahar said. "But it's not a negative."

"It's one in which residents should feel confident that the state of New York is now involved, has their back and [is] making sure that any potential exposures to improperly disposed hazardous waste are being addressed appropriately." 

What is PFAS and how does it impact people?

PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals,” are a group of human-made chemicals that break down slowly in the environment. There are thousands of PFAS chemicals found across a range of products, such as firefighting foam, food packaging and other stain and water-resistant products. 

“Unfortunately, the more they study this chemical, the more health impacts they are finding,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Farmingdale-based Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

Studies have shown that high exposure to PFAS is linked to issues such as cancer, liver disease, low birth weight and damage to the immune and cardiovascular systems. 

A recent study from the U.S. Geological Survey estimates at least 45% of tap water in the nation contains PFAS.

How does firefighting foam cause PFAS contamination? 

Airports are a “very important source of PFAS,” with firefighting foams that have the chemical, said Arjun Venkatesan, associate director for drinking water initiatives at The Center for Clean Water Technology, which is funded by the state and based at Stony Brook University.

There are some alternatives without PFAS in the works, he said, but they’re “not so abundantly used.” 

"If there was known firefighting activity or fire training activity on an airport site, that would have caused a release to the environment that is causing these contaminants to show up in the environment," Mahar said. 

A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said the agency has authorized airports to use the Department of Defense's new standard for PFAS-free firefighting foam, with a transition plan released in May.

A “new fluorine-free foam” from the Defense Department has a congressional deadline of Oct. 1 for addition to the FAA’s list of qualified products, according to the transition plan.

Should you be concerned about your water quality?

The good news about PFAS, Esposito said, is that it can be “filtered out fairly easily with a standard treatment system called granular activated carbon." 

Activated carbon is a highly porous material with a large surface area that effectively removes PFAS and other substances from drinking water, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The SCWA has been testing for PFAS since 2013, chief engineer Timothy Kilcommons said July 18, adding the water authority has been filtering PFAS to undetectable levels at the Holbrook facility near the airport since 2021. 

The SCWA, which serves around 85% of the county, tests for about 250 more compounds than required, said Jeffrey Szabo, the agency's chief executive. 

The DEC also has been working with residents hooked up to private wells near MacArthur to make sure they have access to clean water, Mahar said.

Who pays to keep our drinking water safe?

Three years ago, SCWA established a quarterly water quality treatment charge — $20 per quarter per account — to cover the cost of removing PFAS and the contaminant 1,4-dioxane from drinking water, Szabo said. 

Since 2019, SCWA has been awarded $51.5 million in federal, state and local grants for water main extension and treatment projects, and by mid-August, plans to apply for another $90 million, the most the water authority has ever applied for. The funds would cover equipment to treat PFAS and 1,4-dioxane, as well as water main extension projects. 

Szabo said SCWA has been "extremely aggressive" in applying for state and federal grants to reduce costs for customers.

Are residents concerned about PFAS contamination? 

Sylvia Merone, 56, of Holbrook, who lives near the airport, said she has been drinking only bottled water for years.

“I don’t want to chance putting anything into my system that’s going to cause me health issues,” she said. 

Jeff Lamont, 63, of Holtsville, also lives close to MacArthur. He said he’d like to know more about how public water is treated.

“That’s my concern. What am I putting in my body?” he said. 

Venkatesan recommends that concerned residents check with their local water district, which is required to monitor chemical levels.

But Long Islanders shouldn’t worry too much, he said.

“We are aware of the problem … and work is going on to make the drinking water safer."

By Brianne Ledda

brianne.ledda@newsday.com@brianne_ledda

Brianne Ledda covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. She previously covered Southold and Greenport for The Suffolk Times and is a graduate of Stony Brook University.