Environmental Remediation Databases Details

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Site Record

Document Repository

Administrative Information

Location

Institutional And Engineering Controls

Site Owner(s) and Operator(s)

Site Document Repository

Hazardous Waste Disposal Period

Site Description

Site Description: Location: The Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant (NWIRP) Bethpage Facility is located on South Oyster Bay Road in an urbanized western area of Bethpage, Town of Oyster Bay. The site was part of the former Grumman Aerospace (Grumman Aircraft) Facility complex. Site Features: A portion of the original NWIRP Plant 3 complex remains on the NYS Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites. This is an 8.7 acre grass covered and paved parcel to the east and south of the former NWIRP Plant 3. Current Zoning/Use: The site is currently zoned for commercial and industrial uses. Historic Uses: As part of the former Grumman Aircraft Corporation complex, the NWIRP was included as the government owned (United States Navy) and contractor (Grumman) operated facility. Grumman Aircraft’s operations started at the Bethpage location in 1937 and the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant (NWIRP) operations started in 1942. Eventually the Grumman name was changed to Grumman Aerospace Corporation. All manufacturing ceased at the Grumman and NWIRP facilities in 1996. NYS Site Registry Listing and Operable Units: Listing: Formerly known as the Grumman Aerospace-Bethpage Facility Site (Site No. 130003), this facility consisted of some 600 acres and was listed in the Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites in New York State in 1983 (Site No. 130003 as defined did not include the Bethpage Community Park). In 1993, the Grumman Aerospace- Bethpage Facility Site (130003) was divided into the Northrop Grumman-Bethpage Facility Site (130003A) and the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant Site (130003B). During the early 1990s many portions of the Northrop Grumman-Bethpage Facility Site (130003A) were delisted as the investigation of areas was completed. The Northrop Grumman-Bethpage Facility Site (130003A) was further divided in 2000 with 26 acres becoming the Northrop Grumman-Steel Los Plant 2 Site (130003C). In 2004, a portion of the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant Site (130003B) was delisted, reducing the NWIRP site to the current size of 8.7 acres. An operable unit represents a portion of a remedial program for a site that for technical or administrative reasons can be addressed separately to investigate, eliminate or mitigate a release, threat of release or exposure pathway resulting from the site contamination. The Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant was divided into three operable units. The former manufacturing plant area is designated as Operable Unit 1 (OU1). OU1 is subdivided into three areas of concern: Drum Marshalling Area, Recharge Basins, Salvage Storage Area, also known as Sites Nos. 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Operable Unit 2 (OU2) is defined as the groundwater contamination plume and is a joint OU for both the Northrop Grumman – Bethpage Facility and NWIRP sites. Operable Unit 3 (OU3) consists of the Former Underground Storage tanks area (a.k.a. Site 4 or Area of Concern 22). Sites 2 and 3 were delisted in 2004 and have been transferred to other interests. Sites 1 and 4 comprise the 8.7 acre Registry site which is under the control of the Navy. The following Records of Decision (RODs) have been issued for the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant Site: 1. 130003B, Operable Unit 1 On-site Soils Source Area ROD, March 1995; 2. 130003A and 130003B, Operable Unit 2 NYSDEC Groundwater ROD, March 2001; 3. 130003B, OU 2, Department of the Navy OU2 ROD, January 2003. 4. 130003B, OU 3, Department of the Navy OU3 ROD, November, 2015. In December 2020, the NYSDEC issued an Amended Record of Decision (AROD) to address the entire Navy Grumman Groundwater Plume that originated from the Northrop Grumman Bethpage Facility and the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant and that now extends nearly four miles from these two sites. The remedy was not developed to fully replace remedies detailed in existing RODs. Instead, with data showing that the existing remedies are not fully effective at achieving remedial action objectives, the Amended remedy was developed to supplement the existing remedies and to address off-site groundwater contamination not adequately addressed under the existing RODs. Site Geology and Hydrogeology: The site is located on the Long Island glacial sand deposits which have been designated as a sole source aquifer. Depth to groundwater (in the Upper Glacial aquifer) is 50 to 55 feet and flow is generally southward. The upper glacial aquifer is underlain by the Magothy aquifer which is the primary source of drinking water. Lower permeability silty-sand and clay lenses, which can act as confining layers, exist throughout the area. Most of these confining layers are not continuous in the area of study.

Summary of Project Completion Dates

Projects associated with this site are listed in the Project Completion Dates table and are grouped by Operable Unit (OU). A site can be divided into a number of operable units depending on the complexity of the site and the number of issues associated with a site. Sites are often divided into operable units based on the media to be addressed (such as groundwater or contaminated soil), geographic area, or other factors.

Contaminants of Concern (Including Materials Disposed)

Site Environmental Assessment

Environmental Assessment: OU1 On-site Soils Sites 1, 2 and 3 Areas of the NWIRP have been impacted by PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and inorganics. This is being addressed under OU1. Of the three “Sites” within OU1, remediation at Site 2 and Site 3 is complete. Site 2 and 3 have been addressed with a soil cover and asphalt cap, respectively, and deed restrictions. Site 1 is the subject of the upcoming Proposed Plan from the Navy. Soils in this area have been shown to contain PCBs from ND to 3,500 parts per million (ppm); PAHs from ND to 3.6 ppm; and for inorganic compounds: ND to 8,500 ppm for chromium, ND to 3,650 ppm for cadmium, and ND to 150 ppm for arsenic. There is also residual VOC-contaminated soil vapor in the Site 1 area for which the Navy has installed a soil vapor extraction system. OU2 Groundwater Groundwater from the NWIRP and the downgradient Northrop Grumman plant site is addressed by the On-site Containment (ONCT) system which has been operational since 1998. The off-site portion of the plume is being further assessed in context of a larger study area, including an off-site hotspot removal program designed to capture VOCs in an area referred to as the GM-38 Area near the Bethpage Water District Plant 4 facility. Additionally, the Navy is currently in various forms of design and construction of a groundwater extraction and treatment system to address an area of high VOC concentrations that is identified as the RE-108 Area. A wellhead treatment contingency plan is in place and relies on an outpost monitoring well system to indicate when and if a public supply well may require treatment. Wellhead treatment systems are in place at the Bethpage Water District Plants 4 and 6 (funded by the Northrop Grumman Corporation) with Bethpage Water District Plant 5 and South Farmingdale Plants 1 and Plant 3 (funded by the Navy). OU3 Site 4 In 1999, the Navy conducted additional investigations in the AOC 22 area south of the former Plant 3 which is now known as Site 4. The investigations identified petroleum-contaminated soil and semi-solid petroleum product above and below the water table, which is approximately 50 feet below ground surface (bgs). Clean soils have been confirmed at a depth of 43 feet bgs. In 2015, the remedy selected for Site 4 soil and groundwater contamination consisted of the injection of steam or heat into soil to allow free product to form on the water table, a free product removal system, and biosparging of soil and groundwater. These actions specifically target the PAHs and VOCs and this system is currently under construction.

Site Health Assessment

The site is fenced and covered by clean fill, therefore people are not expected to come into contact with contaminants in soil unless they dig below the ground surface. People are not drinking the contaminated groundwater because the area is served by a public water supply that is treated to remove this contamination. Volatile organic compounds in the groundwater may move into the soil vapor (air spaces within the soil), which in turn may move into overlying buildings and affect the indoor air quality. This process, which is similar to the movement of radon gas from the subsurface into the indoor air of buildings, is referred to as soil vapor intrusion. Soil vapor intrusion sampling identified impacts to the indoor air quality of several structures near the site; however, an on-site soil vapor extraction system is operating to remove contaminated soil vapor from beneath the ground surface near the impacted structures, thus preventing impacts to indoor air quality by soil vapor intrusion.

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