A trio of elected officials on Long Island are calling for a state investigation into the possible health risks associated with ground contamination in Bethpage. Twenty-two chemical drums were discovered underneath Bethpage Community Park this year — near the site formerly used as a dumping ground by Northrop Grumman, a military contractor.
The concern is long-term health dangers from contaminated soil and groundwater, according to a letter to the state Department of Health from Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino, state Sen. Steve Rhoads (R-Bellmore) and state Assemblymember Jake Blumencranz (R-Oyster Bay).
"Despite previous efforts to address this issue, there remains a pressing need for a thorough evaluation of the current health impacts on residents," they wrote. "The persistence of toxic substances has led to a range of potential health risks, including but not limited to, cancer and other chronic illnesses."
They also requested the state review cleanup efforts to determine whether they were successful, and recommend new remediation protocols.
The Health Department said in a statement that the letter is under review and that a health study was completed in 2022, and a cancer evaluation was completed in 2013.
The lawmakers said in their letter that it's time for an updated evaluation "...to provide critical insights for the community, which is on edge."
