Peninsula Boulevard Ground Water Plume

Overview

The Peninsula Boulevard Ground Water Plume is a federal Superfund site in Hewlett, New York, added to the National Priorities List in July 2004. Contamination stems from dry cleaning operations, including former Grove Cleaners at 1274 Peninsula Boulevard, which disposed of hazardous chemicals into on-site dry wells from 1987 to 1992. The site also involves contamination near Cedarwood Cleaners and the Piermont Strip Mall. The EPA divided the site into operable units to manage cleanup in stages.

The main contaminants are chlorinated solvents, including tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, trans-1,2-dichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and related breakdown products. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and benzene also appear in groundwater across the site. Contamination affects groundwater throughout the plume and soil and soil gas near the source areas.

Two cleanup sources describe the status of Operable Unit 1 differently. One source states construction has not yet begun, while another states remedial action ran from September 2022 to September 2023, with state operation and maintenance ongoing since July 2024. For Operable Unit 2, the source area, a cleanup plan was selected in 2017 and updated in January 2025. A contractor is developing the detailed engineering design, which involves additional soil and groundwater sampling and a pilot study. Remedial action at the source area is estimated to begin between 2027 and 2028. EPA is also evaluating vapor intrusion, where contaminant vapors migrate into buildings, to determine whether that exposure pathway poses risk. According to EPA, human exposure is currently under control. Groundwater migration is not yet stabilized. American Water Company provides safe drinking water to residents using air stripping treatment at a well field about 1,000 feet north of the site.

Eight businesses currently operate on or near the site, employing 71 people. The EPA has transferred responsibility for two subslab depressurization systems to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Community members can stay involved through public meetings, fact sheets, and direct contact with the EPA's assigned community involvement coordinator and remedial project manager.