All News Releases By Date

United States files Superfund Suit for Reimbursement of Cleanup Costs at a Site in Oyster Bay, New York - Former Location of Claremont Polychemicals Corporation Facility

Release Date: 7/12/2005
Contact Information:

For Release: Tuesday, July 12, 2005

(#05082) New York -- ROSLYNN R. MAUSKOPF, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and KATHLEEN C. CALLAHAN, Acting Regional Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2, today announced the filing of a complaint in federal court in Central Islip, New York, against WINDING ROAD ESTATES, INC., WINDING ROAD PROPERTIES, INC., and 10 ACRES OF LAND, MORE OR LESS, a property located in Oyster Bay, New York, on which Claremont Polychemicals Corporation formerly manufactured inks and pigments for plastics, vinyl stabilizers, and coated metal flakes. The complaint was brought under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act ("CERCLA"), commonly known as Superfund, which was passed by Congress to help clean up abandoned toxic waste sites across the country. In the complaint, the government seeks reimbursement for EPA of Superfund monies it has spent to dispose of hazardous substances and treat soil and groundwater contamination resulting from former facility operations.

"This Office is committed to protecting the public and our environment from the dangers of toxic waste," stated United States Attorney ROSLYNN R. MAUSKOPF. "This case is one in a series filed in this district in the past year to ensure compliance with CERCLA and other environmental statutes, and it represents another step forward in our mission to ensure that those responsible for causing or contributing to hazardous waste sites are held accountable."

As a result of the operations of Claremont Polychemicals Corporation, which shut down in 1980, soils and groundwater at and near the property are contaminated by metals and volatile organic compounds that are hazardous substances under the Superfund law. Through EPA's cleanup activities at the site, the Agency stabilized and disposed of material found in abandoned drums, treatment basins, tanks, and a sump; decontaminated the former facility building; and built two treatment systems to clean up contaminated soils and contaminated groundwater. EPA continues to operate the soil and groundwater treatment systems.

"We've made great progress in cleaning up the Claremont Polychemicals site, and we are continuing that work to protect people's health," said Acting EPA Regional Administrator KATHLEEN C. CALLAHAN. "We've removed and disposed of 13,000 gallons of hazardous liquid wastes from 547 drums, treated over 8,700 tons of contaminated soils, and removed over 85 tons of asbestos materials from the site. This complaint sends the message that EPA will pursue polluters and compel them to reimburse our costs."

WINDING ROAD ESTATES, INC. and WINDING ROAD PROPERTIES, INC. are owners of the four lots that comprise the site property since the time Claremont Polychemicals Corporation's operations were carried out at the site. Accordingly, reimbursement is sought from these parties. The government also seeks to recover its costs through foreclosure of its lien on the site property, 10 ACRES OF LAND, MORE OR LESS, LOCATED AT 501 WINDING ROAD, OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK.

The government's case is being litigated by Assistant United States Attorney Sandra L. Levy, Special Assistant United States Attorney James Doyle, and Assistant Regional Counsel Cynthia Psoras of EPA.