Region 2 Superfund

The New Cassel/Hicksville site, located in Nassau County, NY, includes contaminated ground water in the vicinity of industrial areas near Hicksville, New Cassel, Westbury, Hempstead and Salisbury. EPA has conducted an initial investigation of the Site and confirmed the presence of elevated levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 11 public water supply wells, six in Hicksville, four in Hempstead, and one in Westbury.  VOCs are often used as ingredients in paints, solvents, aerosol sprays, cleaners, disinfectants, automotive products and dry cleaning fluids.  VOCs are contaminants that evaporate easily into the air and dissolve in water.  A variety of past industrial and commercial activities in the area may have caused the ground water contamination.

Nassau County’s primary source of drinking water, the Magothy aquifer, has most likely been contaminated by the VOCs, which easily evaporate into the air. Residents of these areas currently receive drinking water that has been treated for VOCs.

Though the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has yet to determine the specific sources of contamination, past industrial and commercial activities in the area are thought to have caused ground water contamination. NYSDEC has investigated 17 facilities in the area between Frost Street in New Cassel and Swalm Avenue in North Hempstead, and some of the parties in the New Cassel industrial area are potentially responsible for the contamination. Additionally, two sites in Hicksville have been investigated by the NYSDEC and may be contributing to the ground water contamination.

If finalized on the National Priorities List, the EPA will conduct a formal remedial investigation and feasibility study.  In addition, EPA will conduct community outreach to ensure community involvement in the Superfund process related to the Site.  Public information meetings will be held and community updates will be issued periodically to discuss the status of investigations and upcoming actions related to the Site.  The NYSDEC referred the area to EPA for consideration for the Superfund list in December 2010, and the New Cassel/Hicksville site was officially proposed on March 8, 2011.