$1
Friday, August 3, 2018
Vol. 78, No. 31
Citizens group discusses Grumman pollution plume
GEORGE TO THE RESCUE
BY GARY SIMEONE A citizens group which calls themselves Long Island Pure Water Ltd. had its first public meeting in Bethpage last Tuesday to discuss the Grumman Navy plume issue. It was standing room only at the Bethpage Public Library as local residents packed in to listen to the presentation. The presentation included a history on the discovery of the plume and the potential health effects on people who live within the three-mile radius of the affected site. “We wanted to inform the community what was going on, and let them know about the pending lawsuit we had filed against the DEC and the Navy,” said Alyse Delle Fave, an environmental attorney and member of LIPW.
Lawsuit asks for investigation funding
The Town of Oyster Bay recognized the cast and crew of NBC’s “George to the Rescue” for assisting a Plainview resident. Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph Saladino and Councilwoman Michele Johnson joined with the cast and crew of NBC TV show George to the Rescue as they revealed the newly renovated, handicapped accessible home for Plainview resident Alex Goldmeir. Alex, 23, was recently paralyzed from a ski accident in Feb-
ruary, and his spirit to overcome this challenge has been inspiring. Throughout the 6-week process of renovating the home, the Town’s Building Department worked diligently to make this process as quick and smoothly for Alex and his family as possible, to ensure that things were ready for his arrival upon completion of inpatient rehab.
Supervisor Saladino and Councilwoman Johnson took special occasion to honor and recognize the cast and crew of George to the Rescue as well as all the contractors and vendors who donated their time and efforts to make this possible.. The episode will be aired in the fall as George to the Rescue’s 100th episode.
She said the lawsuit, which was filed in February, is asking the Navy to fund an independent investigation into the cleanup of the contaminated area which comprises over 600 acres of the former Grumman property. Jim Rigano, an attorney in Melville, and a founding member of LIPW, said that the Navy and DEC have been uncooperative in the investigation efforts thus far. “The Navy and DEC have refused to investigate and they have no plans or intentions to investigate the site,” said Rigano. “The position of the Navy and DEC on this is simply outrageous.” Rigano said that the Navy’s assertion is that the high levels of radium discovered in the groundwater had occurred naturally and were not a result of contaminants entering the soil. LIPW brought forth the idea of drafting a petition, to be signed by members of the community, to urge state officials to pressure the Navy into funding an investigation. “The petition would be given to Senator Charles Schumer and other state representatives to compel the Navy to fund this independent investigation,” said Delle Fave. “Our ultimate goal here is have the Navy settle with us.” The LIPW plans to hold additional meetings on the investigation into the plume, and also plans to hold a citizens rally in Bethpage in September.
Music skills soar during summer months PAGE 14 Camp Invention in the Levittown schools PAGE 10