Congressman LaLota: We need your help to hold Navy and Northrop Grumman accountable for groundwater contamination in Calverton

The following is an open letter to Rep. Nick LaLota.

Dear Congressman LaLota,

A few months ago, members of the Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) for Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant (NWIRP) Calverton reached out to you for assistance and support.  As you may know, the RAB is a group of community members who act as a liaison body to the community regarding the contamination remediation work that the Navy is responsible for performing at the former Navy-owned/Grumman-operated property in Calverton.

The RAB is a valuable resource to the community tasked with providing information to the members of the surrounding community and bringing concerns of the community back to the Navy.  The members volunteer their time to do this, and, often, spend countless hours each year increasing their knowledge of the former Grumman site.  As I have known the members of the RAB for quite a few years now, I can wholeheartedly say that each member takes this responsibility very seriously.  At the beginning of February, we sought your support in urging the Navy to begin working in a timely, more comprehensive manner on various concerns of both the RAB and the residents regarding the Calverton site.  We did not receive a response from you.

Last week, in a press release posted by Riverhead Town regarding federal funding awarded for public water improvements, you were quoted as being thrilled to announce the funding and “infrastructure projects and improvements like this will only make our communities better and improve the lives of Long Island families.”  You pledged to continue to ensure funding like this would continue until all necessary water extension projects can successfully come to fruition.  The community is grateful for your help in securing this funding, and I have no doubt that you are sincere in your pledge to the residents.  I am hopeful that you know that a portion of this latest federal funding will be used to provide clean, safe drinking water to families in homes east of the former Navy property.  It is very probable, based upon the direction of water flow in the area, that the contamination found at the Navy site impacted the private wells of these homes.  

Twice each year, the Calverton RAB meets with Navy officials and contractors to review the work being done at the site.  As I understand, representatives from your office have attended at least one of these meetings over the last year, but I have not heard any of them speak up in support of the residents on your behalf.  Considering that you have not responded to the RAB reaching out for support, I am concerned that you are not hearing us.  

My concern was elevated when I recently saw a Facebook post of you and former Grumman executive, Dick Dunne, standing together at the Grumman Memorial Park touting the incredible advances in aviation and aerospace by Grumman.  It certainly cannot be disputed that Grumman was once a revered company on Long Island.  Many, just like you and I, have had family members who worked for Grumman in the aviation heyday on Long Island. 

While we would all love to remember only the good, we need to face and speak out about the very real legacy that Grumman left…  a legacy of devastation to the environment, excessive contamination, and many cases of illness among employees and residents living in surrounding communities. This ‘legacy’ has been proven over and over in both Bethpage and Calverton.  As far as Calverton, the Grumman Corporation, now Northrop Grumman, has completely left town, both literally and figuratively.  Grumman contributes NOTHING to the clean up efforts at the Calverton site thus leaving all the cleanup to the responsibility of the Navy and, in turn, the taxpayers. 

It is disheartening to see you, as the congressman for our area, standing side by side with a corporation whose former work continues to cause devastation to the area in terms of groundwater contamination and very possibly the health of the residents here. 

The RAB has previously asked for your support, and I ask you again today to support us.   The next RAB meeting will be held on May 7.  We welcome you to come back to the community, but rather than visit the aircraft on display, I hope you will attend the meeting that evening, meet the residents that live everyday with the results of Grumman’s work at the site, sit with us and listen to the details about contamination, and then stand with us to ensure that the Navy acts on behalf of the community and that Grumman begins to be held accountable.

Kelly McClinchy

Manorville Resident

RAB Member