Later this spring, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services is expected to release a report on the independent sampling of the Peconic River conducted last fall. Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and the U.S. Department of Energy participated in the river sampling program with the County and a Shelter Island environmental group, Fish Unlimited.
The project began in October, with sediment, surface water and plant samples collected and split three ways among the groups. Five different New York State-approved laboratories analyzed the samples, and results are now being tabulated by the County.
After the results are tabulated, Suffolk County will issue a report that
compares the new results to those previously reported by BNL. Results from
the earlier sampling of this area can be found in the Operable Unit V Remedial
Investigation/Risk Assessment Report, available May 27 for public review
and comment in the Lab's four information repositories (see story, page
1).
Along with the more visible changes associated with Brookhaven Science Associates taking over the management and operation of BNL, the Office of Environmental Restoration (OER) has undergone several changes of its own since the last issue of cleanupdate. The group's name has been changed to the Environmental Restoration Division (ERD), and key personnel have been added in several areas to help make our team even stronger. The new additions include:
- Jim Kannard, Division Manager
Jim comes to ERD from Bechtel National, Inc., BSA's primary subcontractor overseeing the restoration program. Before arriving at BNL, Jim was Vice President and Assistant General Manager for Environmental Management at the U.S. Department of Energy's Nevada Test Site. Jim will oversee the day-to-day operations of ERD and coordinate the direction of the cleanup mission with the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Eloise Gmur, Community Relations Supervisor
ERD's community relations group is now managed by the Public Affairs and Community Involvement Division. Eloise comes to her new role in community relations after 15 years on the staff of the museum and tour office. She will help direct the Lab's Superfund community outreach program, coordinating outreach activities for several major projects and upcoming public meetings, as well as managing day-to-day interactions with the public.
- Anthony Graves, Community Relations Coordinator
The newest member of the community relations team comes to the Lab after
eight years in local town environmental programs. Anthony will assist in
implementing the initiatives of the Superfund community outreach program.
The U.S. Department of Energy is nearing the end of its public water hookup project.
Contractors have completed all water main installations, and every property owner that applied for a hookup has been connected to the main. However, several property owners who are eligible for a free hookup have not yet submitted an application to the water authority. Anyone who is eligible, but has not yet applied, should contact the Suffolk County Water Authority as soon as possible to obtain an application.
Restoration of landscaping and roads in the area is expected to be completed
soon. Once this work is done, DOE will consider the project to be finished
and there will be little, if any, opportunity for DOE to provide additional
hookups. DOE, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, and the
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have recommended that residents
in these areas accept DOE's hookup offer to prevent the possibility of any
potential future exposure to contaminated groundwater.
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