Groundwater tests for a possible carcinogen at hazardous waste sites in Nassau and Suffolk Counties still aren’t complete nearly a year after they were announced by New York State.
The State Department of Environmental Conservation has only completed tests on 20 percent of the 154 sites on Long Island.
Results from those tests show a few sites with elevated levels of 1,4-dioxane, a carcinogenic chemical used in solvents and consumer care products. The chemical is difficult and costly to treat once it gets into the water supply.
The tests were announced last February after trace amounts of the chemical were detected in Long Island’s drinking water supply.
The state says all Long Island sites will be tested by the end of the year.