Lawrence Aviation Industries operated a 126-acre titanium sheet metal manufacturing facility in Port Jefferson Station, New York, from 1959 to 2003. The site produced parts for golf clubs and aerospace applications. EPA placed it on the National Priorities List in February 2000 after operations left behind widespread contamination in soil and groundwater.
The main contaminants are trichloroethene (TCE) and tetrachloroethene (PCE), both volatile organic compounds, along with vinyl chloride, cis-1,2-dichloroethene, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), aroclors 1254 and 1260, acid wastes, oils, and metals. Contamination came from an unlined lagoon, an area where more than 1,600 drums were crushed in 1980, and general disposal practices. A groundwater plume spread north beneath a nearby residential area.
Cleanup started in the late 1980s with short-term actions: bottled water and public water hookups for affected homes, removal of more than 3,300 drums of hazardous waste, and removal of PCB-containing transformers and asbestos materials. A long-term plan finalized in September 2006 called for contaminated soil excavation, groundwater pump-and-treat systems, chemical oxidation to break down TCE and PCE, and long-term monitoring. EPA finished installing both treatment systems by 2010. Between October 2023 and February 2024, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation demolished all 15 abandoned buildings and removed about 2,315 tons of asbestos debris, 2,500 tons of steel, PCB transformer oil, and oily water. Physical construction of the cleanup is complete across the entire site.
EPA has determined that human exposure is under control and that contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status in September 2020. Sources differ slightly on the timeline of the partial NPL deletion: one source places it in August 2024 as a proposal, and another places a partial deletion in March 2025. Groundwater pump-and-treat systems continue operating under state oversight, and EPA conducts formal five-year reviews to confirm the cleanup remains protective. The most recent five-year review was completed on March 24, 2025.
Community members can get involved through EPA's Community Involvement Program, which encourages public input throughout the cleanup process. Site records are available at the EPA Superfund Records Center in New York City, the Port Jefferson Free Public Library, and the Comesewogue Library in Port Jefferson Station. For questions, two EPA contacts are available by phone and email.
