Environmental Cleanup Dzus Fastener Company
Current Conditions at Dzus
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in coordination with the State Department of Health (DOH) is committed to ongoing monitoring of the Former Dzus Fasteners site, Willetts Creek, Lake Capri, and the surrounding properties while keeping the West Islip community informed.
DEC detected increased levels of cadmium in groundwater on and around the former Dzus Fasteners property as well as increased levels of cadmium in the sediment and surface water of Willetts Creek. This is attributed to the release of contaminated groundwater from the former Dzus Fasteners property. This contaminated groundwater would allow cadmium to bind to creek sediments.
DEC is issuing a Notice of Hearing and Complaint against Island Associates, Inc., the owner of the former Dzus Fasteners property and the party responsible for the illegal removal of the asphalt cap preventing offsite migration of the cadmium on site. DEC has previously requested that the owner perform a cleanup (Interim Remedial Measure or “IRM”) under DEC and DOH oversight, and any necessary further investigation and cleanup to ensure full protection of public health and the environment. The owner has repeatedly refused to comply with this request, and so New York State will be implementing these actions.
Immediate Next Steps
The schedule to design and implement the IRM is as follows:
In spring 2024 DEC, in coordination with DOH, will carry out a pre-design investigation that will provide information necessary to install the IRM as soon as possible. This IRM will be designed to prevent contaminated groundwater from continuing to reach Willetts Creek. The investigation will involve sampling groundwater monitoring wells and some small-bore drilling in the area between 425 Union Boulevard and the west bank of Willetts Creek.
In summer 2024, the IRM will be designed and presented for public comment. The public comment period will include an in-person availability session. When this availability session is scheduled, the date will be announced in a subsequent Community Update.
In fall 2024, the IRM will be installed. The exact nature of this work, including its spatial extent and schedule, will depend on the results of the spring 2024 investigation. These details will be shared publicly when they become available.
In fall and winter of 2024, once the IRM has been installed, DEC will carry out additional investigations to confirm the effectiveness of the IRM, as well as to determine the need for further remedial actions addressing impacted Willetts Creek surface water and sediment.
Health Exposure Assessment
People can be exposed to sediment and surface water contaminants such as cadmium if they get sediment particles or water on their hands and ingest through hand-to-mouth activity. Exposure may also occur by ingesting fish caught in Lake Capri. According to the Long Island Region Fish Advisories published by DOH, women under 50 and children under 15 should not eat any fish from Lake Capri. Men over 15, and women over 50 are advised to not eat more than 1 meal per month of American eel or carp, and not more than 4 meals per month of all other fish. There is no risk of exposure to site related contaminants from drinking water as the area is served by a public water supply routinely monitored to meet the State’s stringent drinking water standards.
Based on recent concentrations detected by DEC, no immediate health effects are expected from exposure to cadmium or other contaminants in the Willetts Creek sediment or surface water. However, the chances for exposure to these contaminants can be reduced by taking reasonable and practical steps to minimize direct and repeated contact with creek sediment and surface water, particularly by young children. Unnecessary digging and wading in the creek should be avoided, and children and adults should wash hands after outdoor activities. The use of doormats and periodic damp mopping of floors can help reduce exposure to sediment that might be tracked indoors. It is important to note that all soils and sediments contain metals and microorganisms, and therefore it is always a good idea to minimize getting soils and sediments into the body whether it is contaminated or not.
Recent Site History
Buildings and foundations at the on-site former Dzus facility were demolished in 2020-2021. The site was redeveloped into a commercial space. Sometime before April 2021, the owner illegally removed the asphalt cap at the eastern end of the former facility. This asphalt cap was an engineering control put in place to prevent stormwater infiltration and minimizes the off-site transport of contamination through groundwater. DEC took enforcement by issuing a Notice of Violation in September 2021 for the removal of this important engineering control.
DEC and the owner entered into an Order on Consent in December 2021 with the required steps to address the cap removal. After those terms were not met, DEC issued a second Notice of Violation in September 2022 immediately requiring a temporary cap, which was installed in October 2022. As of February 2024, the new permanent cap was installed by the owner.
In accordance with the Site Management Plan, monitoring of groundwater, surface water, and sediment was performed following completion of the remediation project. Ongoing monitoring showed increasing cadmium concentrations in groundwater downgradient of the former Dzus facility. It is important to note that groundwater at the site is not a source of potable water and is not being used for irrigation purposes.
Increasing cadmium concentrations in sediment and surface water of Willetts Creek were also observed in the area behind Captree Plaza. DEC believes the increases are attributable to cadmium-impacted groundwater discharged to the creek when the asphalt cap was removed.
In addition to the sampling of groundwater, surface water, and sediment, fish samples were collected in June 2023 from Lake Capri and upstream of the lake in Willetts Creek. Results from the fish sampling show that elevated concentrations of cadmium remain present in most of the species sampled. Additional rounds of sampling will be needed to determine if changes to the existing DOH-issued fish consumption advisory for Lake Capri are warranted.
Summary of Site Operable Units and Previous Work
The Dzus Fastener Company, Inc. site was divided into six operable units (OUs). An operable unit represents a portion of a remedial program that can be addressed separately to investigate, eliminate, or mitigate a release, threat of release or exposure pathway resulting from site contamination. Operable units OU1 through OU5 have been previously addressed through remedial action. OU6 addresses the Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) closure of the Dzus Fastener's facility.
Detailed description of the OUs and remedial work completed at each:
- OU1 originally encompassed the entire four-acre Dzus facility, consisting of leaching pools (the source) and areas of soil contamination at the former facility. In 1991, an Interim Remedial Measure (IRM) was performed consisting of excavation of soils in the area of the former metal plating shop, associated leaching pool system and major leaching bed system. A Record of Decision (ROD) was issued for this OU1 by NYSDEC in March 1995. The selected remedy was implemented in 1996, and consisted of in situ stabilization/solidification for onsite soils containing cadmium at concentrations greater than 10 parts per million (ppm) and installation of a final topsoil/asphalt cover to protect the area. In 2016, a boundary modification reduced the site to only the one-acre stabilized area, since the balance of the former facility was determined to meet cleanup objectives.
- OU2 was comprised of the offsite contamination including sediment and surface water contamination in a section of Willetts Creek and all of Lake Capri, and groundwater downgradient of the facility. A ROD for OU2 was issued by NYSDEC in October 1997. The selected remedy was implemented in 1999 and included dredging, dewatering, and offsite disposal of contaminated sediments from Lake Capri, and excavation and offsite disposal of sediment from a 1,000 foot stretch of Willetts Creek exceeding 9 ppm. A long-term groundwater monitoring program was implemented to evaluate the remedy. The extents of OU2 are now encompassed within OU3 and OU4.
- OU3 encompasses the area of offsite impacted wetlands located behind a strip mall on Union Boulevard and is inclusive of the Willetts Creek channel up to approximately 700 feet upstream of Lake Capri (north of the West Islip High School footbridge), West Islip School properties, and low-lying residential property. A ROD for OU3 was issued by NYSDEC in 2017. The remedy was implemented between May 2019 and May 2020 and included removal of Willetts Creek bank soil that exceeded cadmium and chromium Unrestricted Use soil cleanup objective (SCOs), removal of sediment above Class A sediment guidance values (SGVs) from Willetts Cree, restoration of Willetts Creek to a stable riparian corridor with stream and floodplain wetlands, and restoration of upland areas with topsoil, grass seed, and plantings.
- OU4 includes the southern 700 feet of Willetts Creek, adjacent and to the south of OU3, and Lake Capri. OU4 includes sediments within the southern portion of Willetts Creek, Lake Capri, and residential property surrounding the lake. A ROD for OU4 was issued by NYSDEC in 2018. The remedy was implemented between August 2019 and May 2020 and included removal of Willetts Creek and Lake Capri bank and floodplain soil that exceeded cadmium and chromium Unrestricted Use SCOs, removal of sediment above Class A SGVs from Lake Capri and Willetts Creek, restoration of Willetts Creek to a stable riparian corridor with stream and floodplain wetlands, and restoration of upland areas with topsoil, grass seed, and plantings.
- OU5 was established to include the tidal area of Willetts Creek downstream of Lake Capri and south of Montauk Highway. The remedial investigation of OU5 concluded the past disposal of hazardous waste and hazardous material at the site does not pose a threat to public health and the environment. A ROD of OU5 was issued in 2022 and no action is selected for the remedy.
- OU6 documents the RCRA closure of the DFCI Solutions, Inc. facility for the closure of regulated waste activities associated with the former Dzus Fastener Co. site. The general closure procedure for the DFCI facility included the decontamination and washing of the building floors, excavation and removal of contaminated soils, installation and operation of a soil vapor extraction system, and remediation and closure of contaminated leaching pools. The RCRA closure has been completed and the property is ready for development.
In January 2017 an IRM was conducted to excavate and remove impacted soil and sediment from adjacent to the Edmore Lane, West Islip High School and the Burling Lane, Beach Street Middle School footbridges. The areas of the footbridges were restored with certified clean topsoil, seeded, and the stream banks were covered with soil erosion blankets. These blankets provide soil erosion protection and assist in the establishment of vegetation on moderate slopes or low-flow creek applications.
Site Description and History
Site Location and Features
The Dzus Fastener Co. site is a one-acre site located in a mixed residential, commercial, and industrial area. The site is bounded by Union Avenue to the south, the former Dzus facility and Beach Street to the west, and Long Island Rail Road tracks to the north. The nearest residence is approximately 150 feet north of the site.
The site is triangular in shape and relatively flat, and is defined as the portion of the former four-acre Dzus facility where leaching pools were located. There are no buildings located on the site, but a new commercial building is being constructed on the west end of the site. Immediately to the east of the site is Willetts Creek which drains south into Lake Capri, an eight-acre man-made lake. Lake Capri drains into the tidal portion of Willetts Creek through a culvert located under Montauk Highway. There are no areas of exposed surface soils on the site.
Site History
The Dzus Fastener Co. Inc. produced fasteners and springs from 1932 to 2015, and moved operations to 425 Union Boulevard in 1937. Operations included the design and manufacture of quarter-turn fasteners, quick acting latches and panel strips using steel, stainless steel, aluminum and plastic. The products were used by the military and commercial aerospace industries. The fasteners were also used in the transportation, electronics, air handling, refrigeration, motor control and computer industries to secure access panels, covers or detachable components.
Wastes from metal plating, tumbling, electroplating, chromic acid, anodizing, and special finishing operations consisted of oils, heavy metals, and salts. Leaching pools on-site were used for the disposal of wastes. These operations led to soil and groundwater contamination at the Dzus facility and downstream groundwater, sediment, and surface water contamination of nearby Willetts Creek and Lake Capri, an eight-acre man-made lake.
Fish Advisory
Elevated levels of chromium and chlordane have been found in certain fish species within Lake Capri and NYSDOH has issued a fish advisory for Lake Capri to ensure residents do not consume the contaminated fish. It is recommended that women under 50 years old and children under 15 do not eat fish from Lake Capri. Men over 15 and women over 50 are advised to eat no more than one meal per month of American eel and carp and no more than 4 meals per month of all other fish. Information about DOH fish consumption advisories is available.
Document Access Information
Fact Sheets prepared by NYSDEC:
- Community Availability Session Announcement April 2024 (PDF)
- Community Update on Site Conditions March 2024 (PDF)
- Willetts Creek Tidal Area April 2022 (PDF)
- Willets Creek Tidal Area Remediation February 2022 (PDF)
- Willets Creek and Lake Capri Remediation March 2020 (PDF)
- Willetts Creek and Lake Capri Remediation January 2020 (PDF)
Sign up at the "DEC Delivers" web page to have fact sheets and other updates about the Dzus Site delivered right to your email inbox. Be sure to sign up for "Suffolk County".
Additional Information and Other Documents Pertaining to the Site
The large size of some documents prevents them from made being available on this web site and can be downloaded from the DECinfo Locator: https://www.dec.ny.gov/data/DecDocs/152033 . These include:
- Remedial Investigation OU4 (PDF, 133 MB)
- Feasibility Study Report OU4 (PDF, 24 MB)
- IRM OU3A Construction Completion Report (PDF, 37 MB)
- Site Management Plan (PDF, 45 MB)
- January 2018 Periodic Review Report (PDF, 25 MB)
- RCRA Closure Certification Report (PDF, 62.3 MB)
- Remedial Investigation OU3 (PDF, 13.3 MB)
- Feasibility Study Report OU3 (PDF, 14.8 MB)
- Final Engineering Report OU3 and OU4 (PDF, 1 GB)
- Remedial Investigation OU5 (PDF 115 MB)
These and other documents are available for public review at the following location, or upon request of the NYSDEC project manager:
West Islip Public Library
Attn: Maureen Heuer
3 Higbie Lane
West Islip, NY 11795
(631) 661-7080
[email protected]
Project Management Contact Information
For DZUS project investigation-related questions, contact the NYSDEC Project Manager:
James Kruegler, E.I.T.
DEC
Division of Environmental Remediation
625 Broadway
Albany, NY 12233
(518) 402-8068
[email protected]
For project-related health questions, please contact THE NYSDOH Project Manager:
Mark Sergott, P.G.
NYSDOH
Bureau of Environmental Exposure Investigation
Empire State Plaza, Corning Tower, Room 1787
Albany, NY 12237
(518) 402-7860
[email protected]