Claremont Polychemical

Overview

Claremont Polychemical is a former pigment manufacturer that operated from 1966 to 1980 in Old Bethpage, Nassau County, New York. The facility disposed of liquid wastes in leaching basins and stored solid wastes and sludges in drums and metal tanks. By 1979, inspectors found 2,000 to 3,000 drums holding inks, resins, and organic solvents, some uncovered and leaking. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in June 1986, which triggers EPA-led cleanup work. It has not yet been deleted from the NPL.

Contamination affected soil, groundwater, sludge, and building structures. More than 100 chemicals of concern have been identified. Key groundwater contaminants include chlorinated compounds such as trichloroethene and tetrachloroethene, as well as metals including arsenic, chromium, lead, and mercury. Sludge and solid waste also contain benzene, phenol, and phthalates. Cadmium was found in soil beneath the Process Building.

EPA organized the cleanup into multiple operable units covering tank removal, soil treatment, on-site and off-site groundwater treatment, bulk waste disposal, and building decontamination. Between 1989 and 2013, crews removed 13,000 gallons of hazardous liquid wastes and 15 underground storage tanks, excavated and treated roughly 8,762 tons of contaminated soil, and ran a soil vapor extraction system that recovered about 4,025 pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The Process Building was demolished in 2013, but its concrete floor was left in place to prevent exposure to cadmium-contaminated soil beneath it. Groundwater remediation has two phases. The first phase extraction system at the site boundary is not currently operating. The second phase is ongoing at the nearby Old Bethpage Landfill Superfund site, capturing contaminants from the plume. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation oversees both groundwater phases.

The site reached sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status in March 2015. Human exposure is under control, and contaminated groundwater migration has been stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. The most recent five-year review was completed in September 2024. EPA will continue monitoring to ensure contaminated groundwater stays within the original contamination area.

Community members can follow site progress and review documents at the Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library at 999 Old Country Road, Plainview, NY 11803, reachable at (516) 938-0077. Questions can also go directly to EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.