Source: https://www.nbcnewyork.com, January 23, 2019
By: Greg Cergol

A ballfield in Long Island that has been closed for decades due to contamination will once again be put to use after officials announced Wednesday that the toxic mess plaguing the location would be cleaned up.

The ballfield at Bethpage Community Park has not been in use for the past 20 years, ever since toxic materials were discovered in the soil and the area was deemed unsafe. However, officials announced that a multi-million dollar clean-up project looks to rectify the issue.

“What was once an environmental headache will once again become a useful recreational facility,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said.

The hefty cost of the clean-up will be paid by Northrup-Grumman, the property’s former owner. The company, which built planes, allegedly dumped contaminated water into the area’s ground for decades.

“It’s a big day to have this work moving forward. It’s been 20 years and we’re happy to see the right thing is going to be done,” Carole Anne Catapano from the Bethpage Chamber of Commerce said.

While the clean-up is slated to take place, it will not be a speedy process as the task could take up to two years to complete.

Although the ballfield clean-up is an expensive undertaking, an even bigger clean-up job is still ahead: a four-mile long plume of underground contamination also linked Grumman and the US Navy. The state is already preparing a clean-up plan for this contamination that could cost $150 million.