Cleanup Overview

History of the Site

Library (Bethpage Community Center)

A map of Long Island, New York showing the Formal Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plan Site & Northrup Grumman Bethpage Facility located in Nassau County.

From 1942 to 1996, approximately 600 acres of property in the Town of Oyster Bay were used for the manufacture of military aircraft by the United States Navy and the Northrop Grumman Corporation.

A close up aerial map of the Formal Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plan Site & Northrup Grumman Bethpage Facility showing multiple buildings and sites next to each other.

As shown on the figure above, the United States Navy owned approximately 109 acres (outlined in blue) for the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant (NWIRP) and the remainder of the 600 acres (outlined in orange) was owned by Northrop Grumman.

The historic material storage and waste disposal practices during this time period resulted in soil and groundwater contamination at this site. The primary contaminants are referred to as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and were commonly used by industry for degreasing purposes. Recharge basins like the one shown above were one of several sources of contamination.

Goals of the Comprehensive Remedy

While the U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman have taken remedial actions to address this contamination, groundwater contamination continues to migrate south toward currently unimpacted public water supplies and unimpacted portions of the Long Island Sole Source Aquifer. Goals of the comprehensive remedy include:

Full Hydraulic Containment of Navy Grumman Plume
Prevent Further Expansion of the Navy Grumman Plume
Reduce the Volume and Contaminant Concentrations and Reduce Cleanup Timeframe
Minimize Impacts to Public Water Supply Wells
Treat Water To Meet All Standards
Protect Long Island Aquifer by Returning Majority of Treated Water Back to the Aquifer System
Minimize Impacts to the Environment

Overview of Cleanup Activities

As part of a comprehensive plan to contain and clean up the Navy Grumman groundwater plume, some of the major cleanup activities currently being completed by NYSDEC, Northrop Grumman, and the U.S. Navy include:

Testing and Monitoring the Contamination

Several activities and projects have been implemented to help understand the extent of the Navy Grumman groundwater plume and to identify a preferred remedy:

Vertical Profile Boring Drilling
Monitoring Well Installation
Comprehensive Groundwater Sampling Results Database Development
Groundwater Flow Modeling Program
Engineering Evaluation Included in a Feasibility Study

A photo of the ONTC air stripping tower.

Stopping the Plume from Spreading

Addressing the core of the plume using a series of groundwater extraction wells prevents continued expansion and protects the public water supplies.

Best available technology is being used to treat the water so when it is returned to the aquifer or the surface water system, it is well within compliance of federal and state standards.

As of May 2023, three separate groundwater extraction and treatment systems have removed over 220,000 lbs of volatile organic compound (VOC) mass from the underground plume.

A photo of wellhead treatment equipment.

Removing Contaminants from the Ground and Water

To address contaminated areas above and below ground, two approaches are being used: 1) directly remove the source contamination and 2) prevent the contaminants from migrating off-site.

Strategies to address contaminated areas include:

Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE)
Excavation & Off-Site Disposal
Thermal Remediation
Groundwater Containment Systems (P&T)

Ongoing and Planned Cleanup Activities

A map showing the status of current and planned remedial sites and activities as of June 2023.

Map showing status of current and planned remedial sites and activities as of June 2023.

Navy and Northrop Grumman Commitments:

As of June 15, 2023, there are 12 wells in operation that are treating approx. 8 million gallons of water per day (shown in red).
In 2023, 10 new wells (shown in green) located near the core of the plume will treat an additional 6 million gallons of water per day.
Planning, design, and construction of additional wells (shown in blue) is underway.

Remaining areas of the plume requiring cleanup include:

Exploratory Drilling
Design and Siting of Systems – well locations, pipe routes, treatment plant locations
Permitting/Access
System construction
System operation
Performance monitoring

Cleanup at Bethpage Community Park includes:

Thermal Remedy to address VOC soil contamination
Excavation Remedy for PCB Soil contamination

To learn more about ongoing and planned cleanup activities, visit the NYSDEC website.

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