Long Island residents requesting a temporary solution to the contaminated water flowing from a former Grumman airliner plant toward the Peconic River were told no this week by the U.S. Navy.

Volatile organic compounds from the site are contaminating the Peconic River.Located in Calverton, the former jet plant emits what are known as volatile organic chemicals, or VOCs, which can prove harmful to people and wildlife. Well tests conducted near the site revealed VOC levels at 200 times that of normal drinking standards. Community members were hoping the Navy would move quickly by installing a short-term pump-and-treat system inside the toxic plume while continuing to identify a viable permanent solution. 

The Navy, however, contends that it must apprise itself of all possible technological solutions before it settles on any one. The Suffolk County Health Department  and other concerned citizens fear such a process could drag out for years, and don't understand why a temporary fix can't happen now.

The Peconic Bay ecosystem is a vital natural resource, and that's why the NYLCV Education Fund's East End Agenda includes a chapter on its protection. Click here to check out the recommendations for the Peconic Bay and the rest of Long Island's East End.