Cleaning up another Island Park pollution site

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Two years ago when the owners of South Shore Collision wanted to purchase the site of a former gas station across Bishop Street at the corner of Long Beach Road from their Island Park body shop, they had to have an environmental inspection as part of the mortgage process. That inspection found petroleum based pollution on the site.

According to South Shore owner Tom Lanning, the gas station owner was supposed to take care of the pollution but found a loophole and walked away.

Now the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is on site, cleaning up the pollution.

According to geologist and project manager Kristy Salafrio, the DEC knew about a diesel line leak at the site five years ago, and have been monitoring the site since then. They have done extensive drilling and testing on the site and now are taking action to eliminate the chemicals they found underground.

“This pollution is consistent with gasoline,” she said, “it’s about five and a half feet down — a shallow spill— and it is contained within the gas station site.”

The DEC contracted this job to Environmental Assessment & Remediations, a company from Patchogue. Senior Hydrologist with the contractor, Robert Ancona, said they drilled five sites around the property. Into each of those holes they injected 200 gallons of chemical agents that bind with the petrochemicals, and add oxygen to aid bacteria growth.

“Both actions help break down the pollution, said Salafrio, “Two weeks from now the contractor, under our (DEC) supervision, will come back and pump the residual material out for proper disposal at an approved facility.”

Salafrio explained there is no current leak. All the gas tanks have been removed. In addition the DEC is paying for the entire operation.

During the drilling process some of the ground water and the chemical agent came out of the drill sites. Workers sprayed the residue with water and washed it into the street, where it entered the storm drains. Salafrio said only a small amount was returned — less than five gallons — and the manufacturer of the chemical recommended flushing the debris with water. In addition she explained that some of the material pumped underground would mix with the water table and be flushed into the surrounding waterways, but the material breaks down to hydrogen peroxide, and is non-toxic.