The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation oversaw two soil borings to test groundwater at East Hampton Airport on Friday. Eastern Environmental Solutions, a Manorville contractor, performed the borings.
The work followed the February removal of two fiberglass double-walled underground storage tanks, also overseen by the D.E.C. One was used to store 12,000 gallons of jet fuel; the other, an 8,000-gallon tank, to store aviation gasoline. The tanks were considered to be in excellent condition but were no longer needed as they were being replaced by aboveground units.
“At the time, there were traces of fuel in the sand,” said Joanne Pilgrim, executive assistant to Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc, “which is apparently normal.” Nonetheless, “The D.E.C. wanted, out of caution, to require a test well be installed,” Ms. Pilgrim said.
Approximately 40 cubic yards of soil were removed from the site, and D.E.C. staff used a photoionization detector to determine if measurable volatile organic compounds were detectable. They found none in the soil or groundwater screened within the soil borings.
The D.E.C. is awaiting a full report from L.K. McLean Associates, the town’s overall contractor for such remediation work.