Action Anodizing, Plating, and Polishing Corp. operated in Copiague, New York since 1968, doing metal finishing work such as sulfuric acid anodizing, cadmium plating, and chromate conversion coatings. The site was placed on the EPA's Superfund National Priorities List in March 1989 after rinse water from operations was found discharging into underground leaching pits, with high levels of chromium, cadmium, iron, and zinc detected in sediment. The company excavated those pits and backfilled them with clean sand and gravel under county supervision.
A remedial investigation and groundwater monitoring completed in 1992 found no unacceptable risks to human health or the environment. Samples collected in May 1993 and March 1994 showed no site-related contaminants above acceptable standards. EPA selected a "no further action" remedy in June 1992 and deleted the site from the Superfund program in September 1995. EPA has confirmed that human exposure is under control, groundwater migration is under control, and all cleanup goals have been met.
The site's story did not end there. When the business shut down in June 2016, it left thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals, plating solutions, sludges, and cyanides throughout the facility. The owner stated he lacked funds for cleanup. After an emergency request from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, EPA launched a removal action in January 2017. By May 2017, workers had properly disposed of roughly 335 containers and drums of hazardous waste at approved facilities.
EPA has identified 15 contaminants of concern across the site. Groundwater contains 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 2-butanone, acetone, benzene, carbon disulfide, chromium, ethylbenzene, lead, tetrachloroethene, toluene, and xylene. Arsenic appears in both groundwater and soil, and cadmium is found in soil. Physical cleanup construction is complete, and the site achieved sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status in June 2006. EPA continues monitoring to confirm groundwater stays within the affected zone.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. Public records related to this site are available in person at the EPA Records Center, 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, reachable at (212) 637-4308.
