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Toxic Chemical Plume in Bethpage Gets Clean-Up Plan

A map of the Bethpage plume.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
The Bethpage plume has contaminated drinking water in the region for decades.

The U.S. Navy has released plans to clean up the miles-long toxic Bethpage plume of chemicals traveling slowly underground toward the Great South Bay.

The plume comes from the Northrop Grumman plant, which made fighter jets for the Navy during the Vietnam War.

The Navy says it will install up to four new extraction wells along the Southern State Parkway and build two water treatment systems to capture the pollution.

Federal officials and environmentalists have pushed the Navy for decades to remediate the toxic chemicals that leaked into the groundwater and contaminated nearby drinking water wells.

Grumman is also expected to sign on to a portion of the state’s $585 million proposal to contain and clean up toxic waste in Bethpage.

A native Long Islander, J.D. is WSHU's managing editor. He also hosts the climate podcast Higher Ground. J.D. reports for public radio stations across the Northeast, is a journalism educator and proud SPJ member.