SOURCE:
July 2, 2025
Portion of Site Recommended for Removal from State’s Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced that the cleanup of the former Lawrence Aviation Industries site has reached a significant milestone in the removal of contamination from the site of the former industrial manufacturing facility in the town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County. The announcement was made during a visit by the Commissioner and local officials to the long-vacant industrial site on Long Island. Following cleanup and restoration efforts, environmental monitoring shows the site has achieved removal criteria to delist portion of the site from the Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites list (State Superfund Registry). DEC is seeking public review and comment on its determination that most of the site no longer requires further cleanup under the State Superfund (SSF) program.
“The proposed delisting of a majority of the Lawrence Aviation Industries site shows significant progress in the cleanup and produce reuse of this former industrial site and is welcome news for the Brookhaven community, demonstrating the importance of the State Superfund program in addressing environmental contamination, safeguarding public and environmental health, and bolstering local economic revitalization,” Commissioner Lefton said. “This milestone would not be possible without the State Superfund program, which helps clear the way for future redevelopment of this former industrial site and supports DEC’s sustained commitment to protect public health and the environment.”
A site or a portion of a site may be "delisted" from the Registry when the DEC, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Health, has determined that all remediation and post-remediation activities have been satisfactorily completed. The DEC notifies the public when sites are initially placed on the Registry, during the remediation process, and when a site qualifies for delisting.
Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment Adrienne Esposito said, “It is a true environmental success story when an old industrial toxic site filled with legacy contamination is properly remediated and turned into a community asset. This is what happens when government and stakeholders work together to advance the critical goal of environmental and public health protection. Great job by the NYSDEC and all the elected leaders and stakeholders who worked through the years to get this done.”
Approximately five acres of the 125-acre former site will remain in the federal and State Superfund programs; approximately 120 acres will be delisted and available for redevelopment and reuse for the benefit of the Port Jefferson Station community. The remaining five-acre portion will remain subject to a site management plan overseen by DEC. The proposed delisting is available in today's Environmental Notice Bulletin. Public comments on the delisting may be submitted in writing to: Payson Long, Project Manager, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Environmental Remediation, 625 Broadway, 12th Floor, Albany, NY, 12233-7017; via email at payson.long@dec.ny.gov (place “Lawrence Aviation delisting” in the subject line). Public comments will be accepted through Aug. 3, 2025
Project Background
The former Lawrence Aviation Industries facility located in Port Jefferson Station consists of 42 acres of a former industrial operations area and 80 acres of vacant, wooded land. The facility operated between 1959 to 2004, including the manufacture of various titanium products such as titanium sheet metal and products for the aeronautics industry. Previous improper waste management practices at the facility resulted in the release of environmental contaminants—including industrial solvents, fluorides, sludges, caustic acids, heavy metals, petroleum oils, and other industrial liquid and solid wastes—which contaminated the local groundwater and created a contaminant plume under the village of Port Jefferson. The plume extended out to Port Jefferson Harbor. The improper storage and disposal activities led to the site being officially added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Priorities List (Superfund list) in 2000. New York State mandated the shutdown of all operations in 2004.
Site Cleanup
Initial contamination response activities were conducted by the EPA and DEC between 1987 and 2007. This included a groundwater investigation of off-site properties potentially affected by the facility’s operations, connecting 14 local domestic wells to the public water supply, vapor intrusion evaluations at 59 structures, and vapor mitigation systems installed at affected properties. Site cleanup operations conducted between 2004 to 2019 included the removal of approximately 2,500 drums, containers, and cylinders containing toxic substances, 3,000-gallons of machine oils recovered from leaking machinery, 18 above ground and underground storage tanks containing industrial waste and fuel oils, 20 leaking PCB transformers, 1,600 gallons of PCB oils, and 17,000 tons of contaminated soil excavated from multiple areas of the site.