Circuitron Corporation made electronic circuit boards on a one-acre property in East Farmingdale, New York from 1961 to 1986. The manufacturing process left behind heavy metals and chlorinated solvents, mainly 1,1,1-trichloroethane and tetrachloroethene, in groundwater, soil, sediment, and the building itself. The site sits in a densely populated area near about fifteen municipal wells that supply water to more than 215,000 people, with the closest well less than 1,300 feet away. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) on March 31, 1989. The NPL is the federal government's roster of contaminated sites that need long-term cleanup attention.
Groundwater and soil contain a range of chlorinated solvents, including 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethene, 1,2-dichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and trichloroethene. Metals found in groundwater include arsenic, barium, beryllium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, silver, and zinc. Soil and sediment in the on-site demolition areas also contain several of these same solvents.
Cleanup is organized into four operable units (OUs) covering building demolition, groundwater treatment, excavation, and soil vapor extraction (SVE). Emergency work starting in 1987 removed more than 100 chemical containers, storage tanks, and 120 cubic yards of contaminated soil. The building was demolished in August 1996. Between 1987 and 2012, EPA excavated contaminated soils and ran a groundwater extraction and treatment system that processed about 90 million gallons of water. In March 2008, EPA switched to a circulating well system using in-well vapor stripping and SVE. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) took over operation and maintenance in June 2011 and added air sparge wells in October 2016 to speed up the cleanup.
Right now, human exposure at the site is considered under control. Residents nearby are connected to public water, so drinking contaminated groundwater is not a concern. Residual soil contamination in the southwest corner stays underground and behind fencing. However, cleanup goals for groundwater and soils in that southwest corner have not yet been met. NYSDEC samples groundwater twice a year to track the contamination plume and confirm when targets are reached. The most recent five-year review was completed on January 24, 2025, and the site has not been deleted from the NPL.
Community members who want to learn more can review site documents at the Farmingdale Public Library at 116 Merritts Road in Farmingdale, New York, or at the EPA Region 2 Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York. Questions can be directed to the EPA staff assigned to the site.
