Community Spotlight: Bethpage

Northrop Grumman is committed to addressing environmental conditions in the region.

World War II military airplane flying above New York

Northrop Grumman Traffic Pattern Change – March 9-11, 2026

Northrop Grumman Traffic Pattern Change – February 24-27, 2026

Northrop Grumman is committed to continuing to work closely with the U.S. Navy, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and other federal, state, and local government regulatory authorities, as we have done for over 25 years, to address environmental conditions in the region.

We support scientifically-based and technically-proven remedies to address environmental conditions and we welcome the opportunity to have a productive dialogue with the regulatory agencies and other responsible parties regarding technically sound remedial efforts.

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History

During World War II, thousands of Grumman Aircraft Engineering employees at the 600-acre U.S. government-owned, contractor operated site in Bethpage produced 12,200 F-6F Hellcat airplanes for the U.S. Navy – one of several Grumman aircraft instrumental in achieving victory in the Pacific.

During the space race, employees designed and built the Apollo lunar module, which carried Neil Armstrong and other astronauts to the moon and back. Later, employees built the U.S. Navy's venerable F-14 Tomcat and the E-2C Hawkeye. In 1994, Northrop Corporation acquired Grumman Aerospace Corporation.

The company's airborne early warning system, now the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, is still protecting our troops serving on every U.S. aircraft carrier and our Bethpage team is currently supporting the next generation of electronic attack for the U.S. Navy among other work at the site.

Today, the 100,000 men and women of Northrop Grumman around the world support our warfighters as they face an increasingly challenging threat environment – just as generations of Long Islanders did who proudly worked at Grumman.

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Our Environmental Efforts

three men in hardhats near gravel bed — **B-2 Images and Videos**
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Bethpage Community Park Soil Cleanup

NYSDEC officials on August 26, 2020 at the start-up of Northrop Grumman’s soil cleanup system at Bethpage Community Park.

Northrop Grumman and NYSDEC Project Team

Left to right: Northrop Grumman Engineer Fred Weber, NYSDEC Project Manager Jason Pelton, Northrop Grumman Project Director Ed Hannon, NYSDEC Section Director Don Hesler, HSW Engineers Bill Lais and Scientist Doug Smolensky coordinate system start-up on August 26, 2020.

Onsite Command and Control Center

An onsite command and control center monitors, controls and reports on all process stages. This monitoring data is readily available to Northrop Grumman, the NYSDEC, NYSDOH and town officials.

Soil Cleanup Work Zone

The well field (heater wells, vapor extraction wells, temperature monitoring points) looking northeast. The black material on the ground is a heavy duty welded plastic barrier that serves as a secondary containment barrier to capture vapors. Those vapors are immediately captured and sent to the processing system.

Soil Cleanup Work Zone

The well field (heater wells, vapor extraction well, temperature monitoring point) and its supporting power supply. The system is designed to continuously operate for around six months.

Soil Cleanup Work Zone

The project pipelines from the well field to the processing equipment. The pipeline is secured behind chain link fencing.

Soil Cleanup Work Zone

The system pipeline as it moves along the process equipment.

Soil Cleanup Work Zone

Three large containers hold treated water for testing before discharge.

Soil Cleanup Work Zone

The containers in this photograph remove vapors from the air as the final step of the ISTR process.

Soil Cleanup Work Zone

System processing equipment is housed in sound-proofed, secure containers.

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Infographics

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Soil Cleanup Process for Ballfield - Storyboard

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Treatment Equipment at McKay Field - Storyboard

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In the 1980s and 1990s, Grumman Aerospace and, later, Northrop Grumman, sought to understand how legacy military production operations (which were consistent with America's standard industrial manufacturing practices) may have contaminated soil and groundwater.

Detailed research, funded by Northrop Grumman, found evidence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soil and VOCs in groundwater at the site.

In the early 1990s, the company funded wellhead treatment at two Bethpage Water District Plants. Northrop Grumman also funded, designed and constructed an on-site groundwater containment and remediation system at the southern border of the former Navy/Grumman facility to contain and treat groundwater at the site.

Approved by the NYSDEC, the system continues to operate today and returns clean water replenishing the aquifers. The company's ongoing evaluation of its data (provided to NYSDEC) shows these systems are effectively capturing groundwater contaminants.

Beginning in 2008, Northrop Grumman funded, designed, constructed and began operating on-site soil vapor and groundwater treatment systems along the southern and western boundaries of the Bethpage Community Park. These systems continue to operate effectively today.

In 2016-2017, the company funded, designed, constructed and installed three wells as part of a NYSDEC-approved off-site groundwater remedial system (known as the RW-21 project) to capture and treat groundwater south of the Park. Northrop Grumman is currently working with the NYSDEC and the Town of Oyster Bay to implement the pipeline installation and construct a treatment facility to support this system.

In 2018, Northrop Grumman funded, designed, and developed a soil remediation plan within specific areas of the Bethpage Park baseball field. The company is working with the NYSDEC and the Town of Oyster Bay to implement this plan currently with the goal of returning this ball field to the community as soon as the NYSDEC-approved work is complete.

In addition to Northrop Grumman's on-site and off-site groundwater remediation and soil remediation activities, the U.S. Navy is conducting its own groundwater activities. The Navy is responsible for treating groundwater contamination at two locations (GM-38 and RE-108) and is funding wellhead treatment for several water districts.

Northrop Grumman is currently implementing three NYSDEC consent agreements under the current state-approved Record of Decision. These activities include ongoing well sampling and data collection as well as the specific remedial projects mentioned above.

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Project Communications

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2016-2019 Archives

RW-21 Project Area Fact Sheet - August 2019

RW-21 Project Area Fact Sheet - May 2019

Bethpage Park Soil Remedy Fact Sheet - March 2019

Apollo Circle Project Work Fact Sheet - May 2018

Bethpage Environmental Fact Sheet - April 2018

Arumdaun St/Aerospace Blvd Project Fact Sheet - March 2017

RW-21 Project Area Fact Sheet - November 2016

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Bethpage in the News

Northrop Grumman Begins Next Phase of Soil Cleanup at Bethpage

Community Park Patch.com Farmingdale Edition - September 30, 2020

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Naval Airborne EW: Northrop Grumman Builds on Strong Legacy to Deliver the Future

Defense Daily Advertorial - September 2020

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Northrop Grumman Gives Long Island Council of Churches a $5,000 COVID Grant for its Nassau County Emergency Food and Support Program

Long Island Council of Churches Press Release - July 23, 2020

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Science and Commitment Make for a Better Long Island

Long Island Contractors Association - March 2020

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Documentation of Northrop Grumman's activities, reflecting the company's long and close collaboration with NYSDEC, NYSDOH, the U.S. Navy, and other federal, state, and local regulatory agencies to address environmental conditions in the area, is available for review at the Bethpage Public Library, 47 Powell Avenue, Bethpage, NY 11714.

The company holds periodic community meetings and engages local residents, community leaders and elected officials regularly to inform them of the NYSDEC-approved work that is undertaken in the area. If you would like be informed of company environmental activities in the area, please sign up for project updates.

Community Spotlight: Bethpage

Northrop Grumman Traffic Pattern Change – March 9-11, 2026

Northrop Grumman Traffic Pattern Change – February 24-27, 2026

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History

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Our Environmental Efforts

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Infographics

Soil Cleanup Process for Ballfield - Storyboard

Treatment Equipment at McKay Field - Storyboard

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Project Communications

2026 Archives

2025 Archives

2024 Archives

2023 Archives

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2016-2019 Archives

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Bethpage in the News

Northrop Grumman Begins Next Phase of Soil Cleanup at Bethpage

Naval Airborne EW: Northrop Grumman Builds on Strong Legacy to Deliver the Future

Northrop Grumman Gives Long Island Council of Churches a $5,000 COVID Grant for its Nassau County Emergency Food and Support Program

Science and Commitment Make for a Better Long Island

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Learn More

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Contact Us

Our Government Project Partners

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History

Infographics

Soil Cleanup Process for Ballfield - Storyboard

Treatment Equipment at McKay Field - Storyboard

2026 Archives

2025 Archives

2024 Archives

2023 Archives

2022 Archives

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2021 Archives

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2020 Archives

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2016-2019 Archives

Bethpage in the News

Northrop Grumman Begins Next Phase of Soil Cleanup at Bethpage

Naval Airborne EW: Northrop Grumman Builds on Strong Legacy to Deliver the Future

Northrop Grumman Gives Long Island Council of Churches a $5,000 COVID Grant for its Nassau County Emergency Food and Support Program

Science and Commitment Make for a Better Long Island

Learn More

Contact Us

Our Government Project Partners

2022 Archives

2021 Archives

2020 Archives