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EPA Regional Administrator Tours Demolition at Mackenzie Chemical Works

Release Date: 08/25/2004
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(#04133) NEW YORK -- Today U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Jane M. Kenny toured the MacKenzie Chemical Works Superfund Site in Central Islip, Long Island. EPA is demolishing a two-story former laboratory as part of its overall cleanup of the site. In addition, EPA is using two advanced technologies to remove trichloropropane from the soil and ground water. "Demolishing this laboratory is an important step in cleaning up MacKenzie," said EPA Regional Administrator Kenny. "EPA is using state-of-the-art equipment to clean both the soil and ground water, and we expect to have this site cleaned up within ten years." EPA placed the site, located at 1 Cordello Avenue, on its National Priorities List of the most serious hazardous waste sites in September 2001. Past operations at the site contaminated local ground water with volatile organic compounds. The primary concern at this site is elevated levels of 1,2,3-trichloropropane. Municipal drinking water supplies have not been affected. In March 2003, EPA selected a cleanup to address the former laboratory, and soil and ground water contamination. EPA will be excavating and disposing of some contaminated soil, and is currently using a thermally-enhanced in-ground soil vapor extraction (SVE) system to remove the contamination from remaining soil source areas. The SVE system cleans soil using vacuum pumps to draw contaminated air from the soil. A carbon filter removes contaminants before the air is released into the atmosphere. EPA is also removing contamination from ground water using an ozone injection system. This system injects ozone into the ground water, destroying contaminants.