Plan to clean up 175 Roger Ave. in Inwood

Inwood residents and other interested parties might be paying more attention to Flag Day on June 14 than usual as that is the date that the public comment period on the cleanup plans for the nearly 5-acre site that once housed a sheet metal fabrication factory at 175 Roger Ave. in Inwood will close. 

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting written comments about the proposed plan, called a “draft Remedial Action Work Plan” at the site for 45 days. The comment period began on April 28.

Some of the details of the proposed remedial plan include removing underground storage tanks and drywells; excavation and off-site disposal of approximately 2,600 tons of contaminated soil, fill and source material; importing clean material that meets the established soil cleanup objectives for use as backfill and to established required grade.

State DEC officials said that the chemicals tetrachloroethene known as PCE and trichloroethene commonly called TCE were found in the groundwater at levels surpassing water quality standards.

There were also higher than usual levels of metals such as cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury.

“Based on the findings of the investigation, NYSDEC in consultation with the NYSDOH has determined that the site poses a significant threat to public health or the environment,” The DEC said in a statement. “This decision is based on the nature of the existing contaminations identified at the site and the potential for human exposure to site- related contaminants via soil vapors.

Sheet metal fabrication began at the site in 1961. From roughly 1971 to 1987, Rockaway Metal Products used the property. When the company left, it was discovered that the company had disposed of and improperly stored hazardous waste material. In 1993, the federal Environmental Protection Agency conducted what is called an emergency removal action and removed the barrels of waste.

The site currently lies vacant after the 155,000-square foot, one story building was demolished in 2018. Current applicants Inwood 175 LLC and AJM Capital II LLC bought the property from Nassau County in 2019. It has drawn the ire of residents and local officials in the past, describing the site as an “eyesore.”

Public comments can be directed to John Sheehan, Project Manager at NYSDEC, (631) 444-0244. He can be reached via email at John.Sheehan@dec.ny.gov. Current documents on the site can be found online at, Index of /data/DecDocs/C130164 (ny.gov) and at Peninsula Public Library, 280 Central Ave. in Lawrence. 

Have an opinion on what should be done with 175 Roger Ave. in Inwood? Send letter to jbessen@liherald.com.