Deal Inked On 40-Acre Parcel At Lawrence Aviation Superfund Site In Port Jefferson Station

PORT JEFFERSON, NY — Brookhaven Town closed on a $400,000 deal Wednesday, purchasing a 40-acre piece of the Lawrence Aviation Superfund site in Port Jefferson Station for open space, Newsday reported.

The parcel, which is in the site's northwest section on Sheep Pasture Road, is the first piece of the property to be sold as part of a plan following a years-long legal battle and a federal cleanup to the tune of $50 million, according to the outlet.

The parcel will provide a buffer between homes, as well as a solar farm and a Metropolitan Transportation Authority train yard, according to the outlet.

In a Facebook post, Supervisor Dan Panico said that while the MTA’s intentions for its adjoining parcel are uncertain, town officials will continue pursuing "preservation of open spaces for our residents, our environment, and the character of our communities."

Patch has reached out to the MTA for comment.

An MTA spokeswoman said that she did not have any updates on the property.

A consent decree was reached, paving the way for the redevelopment of the site, according to the U.S. Attorney's office announced in 2023.

The site includes an area around 125 acres off of Sheep Pasture Road with six parcels enhanced in value and sold for redevelopment by a company established by the county's Landbank Corporation, the office said.

The decree provided possible future uses of the property including a "regionally significant infrastructure project and an industrial park," according to the office.

Lawrence Aviation conducted titanium sheet metal manufacturing operations at the site, mostly for the aeronautics industry, from 1959 to around 2004.

The Environmental Protection Agency determined its operations resulted in releases of a number of hazardous substances and contaminants into the environment, including the known carcinogen, trichloroethene or TCE, as well as acid wastes, oils, sludge, metals, and other plant wastes, and as a result, it was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List.

The property's owners violated the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, or CERCLA, which is commonly known as the Superfund statute.

The EPA conducted a number of response actions at the site, including the construction of treatment systems designed to capture, treat, and prevent further migration of TCE, in groundwater beneath the site.

The EPA has also remediated soil at the site by removing polychlorinated biphenyls, another known carcinogen, removed asbestos from buildings at the site, and installed soil vapor mitigation systems in nearby locations, which are inspected annually, and has plans to treat the groundwater to the point that the water can be used as drinking water.

The consent decree resolves this remaining issue by allocating recoveries from the sale of the property among the EPA and other claimants.

For more in Newsday, click here.