Anchor Chemicals operated as a chemical blending and packaging facility in Hicksville, New York, from 1964 to 1985. The site used 17 underground storage tanks and 7 aboveground tanks to hold solvents and chemicals for the graphic arts industry. Leaking tanks contaminated the surrounding soil and groundwater. The Nassau County Health Department first discovered contamination near a dry well in 1977. The EPA added the site to its National Priorities List of priority Superfund sites in June 1986.
Ten contaminants of concern were identified in soil and groundwater. These include 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, chromium, lead, toluene, and xylene (mixed isomers). The EPA determined these substances posed an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment.
The main cleanup action took place between September 1995 and July 1996. Workers removed about 21 tons of contaminated sediment from four dry wells and disposed of the material off-site. A remedial investigation and feasibility study ran from June 1989 to September 1995, supported by administrative orders issued between 1989 and 1992. The EPA selected "no further action" beyond the removal as the final remedy in September 1995. Remedial construction was completed in October 1996.
Groundwater sampling in 1996 and 1997 confirmed the site no longer posed an unacceptable risk. The EPA deleted the site from the National Priorities List in September 1999, confirming cleanup goals had been met. Human exposure is under control, and contaminated groundwater migration has been stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The EPA continues monitoring to ensure the affected groundwater stays within its original contamination area. The site achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use status in June 2006. A retail outlet store now occupies the property, and as of December 2024, one on-site business employs 6 people and generates roughly $1.4 million in annual sales.
Community members with questions can reach the EPA Region 2 site team directly. Site documents are available at the Hicksville Public Library, 169 Jerusalem Avenue, Hicksville, New York 11801, and at EPA Region 2's Superfund Records Center, 290 Broadway, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10007-1866.
