DEC seeks to delist Smithtown Superfund site

State Department of Environmental Conservation officials are proposing to take a Smithtown Superfund site that underwent water contamination cleanup for more than two decades off their list of inactive hazardous waste disposal sites.

The DEC describes the site as a roughly 4-square-mile area within Nissequogue, St. James and Head of the Harbor. The agency announced in 2023 that it had finished all cleanup work at the site, which contained dozens of drinking wells, Newsday previously reported. 

The delisting of the site will mean that all cleanup, operation, monitoring and maintenance activities are complete. However, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, delisted sites can still be reviewed every five years to ensure environmental health is protected. 

In the mid-1990s, the wells at the site were found to be affected by tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, a solvent used in dry cleaning and metal cleaning. A total of 270 area homes with wells have been hooked up to public water since the contamination discovery. 

EPA officials investigated possible connections between the contamination and 11 commercial facilities in the area but previously stated they were unable to pinpoint any of its sources. 

A report issued earlier this month by the DEC stated that the EPA has determined “that all appropriate response actions for the Smithtown Groundwater Contamination Superfund [site] have been successfully implemented.” 

Nissequogue Mayor Richard Smith said in an interview that he welcomed the news, noting the contamination issue had many residents alarmed when it first came to light in the 1990s. Smith said that up until 2000, many of the village's residents were "entirely dependent" on private drinking wells. 

"With the full expansion of public water lines by Suffolk County Water Authority to address this, I think certainly the [public health] risks have been greatly mitigated," Smith said.

DEC accepting comments on plan

Cleanup levels were achieved based on field observation and three five-year reviews of the site, according to the final closeout report the EPA released in November 2022.

The DEC is accepting written comments from the public about the agency’s proposal to remove the site from the Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites. The registry is a state program that identifies, investigates and cleans up sites where “consequential amounts of hazardous waste may have been disposed,” according to the DEC.

The 30-day comment period runs through June 6. Comments can be sent to DEC project manager Robert Bellotti at robert.bellotti@dec.ny.gov.

DEC spokesman John Salka said in a statement the EPA conducted cleanups at the site together with the DEC, noting the land was delisted from EPA’s National Priorities Site list in 2023. He said the DEC, "in consultation with the New York State Department of Health, has determined that the cleanup requirements to address contamination have been met, and is proposing to formally delist this site.”

David Barnes, environmental protection director for the town of Smithtown's Department of Environment and Waterways, said in a statement the agency's delisting proposal is "the culmination of an extensive project to clean up and protect the area's groundwater that included connecting approximately 270 homes to public water ... the completion of this project and acceptance by EPA and DEC is excellent news for the environment of St. James."

Reasons cited for delisting

The DEC in its fact sheet report listed several reasons it is recommending delisting the site. Among them, it notes that 270 homes in the site’s affected area have been connected to either the Suffolk County Water Authority or the St. James Water District for potable water, leading to the residential wells being “properly abandoned” following state requirements to eliminate human health risks.

Additionally, DEC officials said institutional controls like groundwater use restrictions — which, in this case, will involve restrictions on well drilling permits — will be used at the site to prevent the future use of contaminated groundwater.

Jeff Szabo, chief executive of the Suffolk County Water Authority, said in a statement Tuesday the water authority "will continue to use advanced treatment technologies so our customers can have confidence every time they turn on the tap.

"They should be assured that our public supply wells are continuously monitored, rigorously tested and treated to ensure that all water we deliver meets the highest quality standards,” he said.