The Goldisc Recordings, Inc. site covers 34 acres in Holbrook, New York, on Long Island. Two companies ran manufacturing operations there from 1968 to 1983. Goldisc made phonograph records, and Viewlex Audio Visual, Inc. produced audio visual and optical devices. Those operations generated nickel-plating wastes, hydraulic oil, and solvents. Leaks and spills sent heavy metals and other chemicals into the soil and groundwater. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. The NPL guides EPA in deciding which sites need further investigation and cleanup.
EPA has identified 12 contaminants of concern at the site. Groundwater contains heavy metals including nickel, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc. It also contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, vinyl chloride, and tetrachloroethene, plus two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzo[a]anthracene and chrysene. Nickel was also found in soil. A public water supply well was shut down in late 1993 because of nickel contamination believed to come from the site, though it has since returned to operation. About 19,500 people live within a mile of the site, and roughly 130 wells within three miles serve 71,000 people.
EPA selected a remedy for contaminated soils and sediments in September 1995 and removed those materials in 1997. In September 1998, EPA chose monitored natural attenuation for groundwater, meaning natural in-place processes reduce contaminant levels over time while monitoring confirms the approach is working. Nickel is the primary contaminant still being tracked. Sampling from 2016 and 2019 showed nickel levels are stable, with most monitoring wells meeting New York State standards. Physical construction of the cleanup is complete for the entire site. In February 2024, EPA issued an Explanation of Significant Differences for Operable Unit 1, removing institutional controls from that part of the remedy. The most recent five-year review was completed in May 2023. Human exposure is under control, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water.
The site has been put back to productive use. Consumers Kitchens and Baths operates in the former Goldisc building. A FedEx distribution center was built on previously undeveloped land. Other commercial tenants include a ceramic tile company, carton facility, distribution center, and dry-goods operations. As of December 2024, four on-site businesses employed 223 people and generated about 6.08 million dollars in annual sales.
Community members can review site records at EPA's Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York City, by calling (212) 637-4345. Records are also available at Islip Town Hall, 655 Main Street, Islip, New York. For questions, contact the EPA staff assigned to the site.
