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Long Island residents face renewed concerns after discovery of toxic chemicals in graveyard of contaminants

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Long Island residents face renewed concerns after discovery of toxic chemicals in graveyard of contaminants

Large chemical drums found buried at a local park on Long Island have reignited anger and outrage from area officials and residents who have long feared that the park’s past may be linked to cancer’s prevalence in the community. The latest discovery has left some to believe there are more secrets to be dug up. 

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced at the end of March that six 55-gallon steel drums had been discovered encased in concrete at Bethpage Community Park as the multi-year cleanup of the contaminated site continues. The area, located in the town of Oyster Bay, is the former dumping ground for aerospace manufacturer Northrop Grumman, previously known as Grumman Aerospace. 

Preliminary testing revealed that the drums were filled with chlorinated solvents and waste oil, according to the state, which also said in a statement, “The discovery of the drums in an area of ongoing cleanup in the ball field does not present a threat to public health and safety at the site.” 

Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino had a scathing rebuke of the ongoing cleanup process and called on Northrop Grumman to remove all the soil and haul it off Long Island. 

“You’re looking at Grumman’s graveyard of contamination, we’ve been telling them for years that it’s a lot worse than they’re claiming,” Saladino told Fox News while standing in front of the site’s fenced off enclosure. “Now these drums prove that, and it’s time for Grumman to get on the stick, show they’re responsible [and] clean up this site fully and ship all the contaminants off Long Island. The people of this community and this town deserve nothing less.” 

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55-gallon steel drums were discovered encased in concrete at Bethpage Community Park as the multi-year cleanup of the contaminated site continues. (Fox News)

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The contaminated soil was first discovered at the park in 2002, and Northrop Grumman was named as a major contributor to a groundwater plume spreading from the site. 

According to a state outline for remedial actions, “At its widest point, the plume is approximately 2.1 miles wide. In most areas, the top of the groundwater plume is over 200 feet beneath the ground surface and extends to depths of approximately 900 feet beneath the ground surface.” 

The DEC says that from 1942 to 1996, Grumman Aerospace and the United States Navy used approximately 600 acres of property in Oyster Bay to manufacture military aircraft. 

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A tract of the land, which had been used by the company for waste disposal, was donated to the town in 1962 and later turned into a community baseball field.

There’s never been a confirmed link between the site and the cancer rates in the community, but nearby residents are increasingly joining class actions or filing personal injury lawsuits. 

Northrop Grumman has previously denied culpability or declined to comment on ongoing litigation. 

Regarding the latest discovery, a spokesperson for Northrop Grumman shared the following statement:

“While conducting environmental remediation in the Bethpage Community Park under the supervision of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), we discovered several drums encased in concrete underground in a closed area of the Park. We promptly notified NYSDEC and other relevant stakeholders and we are working with NYSDEC to assess and address this situation as quickly as possible. We remain committed to protecting the health and well-being of the community and to continuing our partnership with NYSDEC and other government regulators to address environmental conditions in the area.”

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Fears of a tainted childhood 

Long Island was a beacon of opportunity for Lois Schiavetta and her family when they moved to the area decades ago. 

“I was three years old, and my dad just got out of the Navy a year before and got a job at Grumman Aerospace, and they decided we might as well move to the town we’ll be working in,” Schiavetta said. 

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Schiavetta said her childhood was markedly happy; she spent time with her parents, siblings and friends. 

“The ice skating rink was the Friday night thing to do, that’s where we all went to meet the boys and skate,” she said. 

Schiavetta lived three blocks away from the manufacturing operation then known as Grumman Aerospace. 

“We went swimming all the time, we played in the ballfields,” Schiavetta said. “We didn’t have parents driving us anywhere; we walked, took a bicycle, and that’s where we hung out.”

Throughout her adolescence, she noticed an alarming trend in the community. 

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“Every single household on the other side of the block had someone who contracted cancer of some sort.”

Now, she wonders whether the time she spent in and around the baseball field later contributed to her own cancer diagnosis. 

“I had to have a double mastectomy and go through chemotherapy – it was trying, for sure, and put a large strain on the family and my kids, but I’m still here ten years later,” she said.  

Despite the challenges, Schiavetta said she considers herself one of the lucky ones. 

“I have many friends who had multiple cancers from my high school, and it’s pretty devastating,” she said. “The numbers that I’ve seen and the names … of our class list of those who have left us.”

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55-gallon steel drums were discovered encased in concrete at Bethpage Community Park as the multi-year cleanup of the contaminated site continues. (Fox News)

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A lengthy court battle

I’m not surprised at all. Grumman has done everything they can … to hide the truth from the public,” Paul Napoli, a personal injury attorney on Long Island, said. “You know, they buried these barrels like they buried their heads in the sand when it comes to telling the community — they buried the truth.”

Since 2016, Napoli has been working with community members on a class action lawsuit against Northrop Grumman. 

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He alleged that the manufacturer’s historic operations led to expansive air pollution.

“It was actually air pollution they were emitting from 400 stacks at the site, millions of pounds of TCE into the air and thousands of pounds, by their own admission, of hexavalent chromium … and TCE is banned in New York,” Napoli said. 

Napoli further alleged that Northrop Grumman initially left its 600-acre site because it didn’t want to pay newly required costs associated with monitoring air emissions following the enactment of the Clean Air Act in 1962.

 “I always wondered why Grumman left Long Island – and the reason became pretty clear: the costs associated with putting scrubbers and air emission protection on these 400 stacks was so costly, it wasn’t worth staying in the community, and so they left, but what they left was this toxic legacy.” 

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Northrop Grumman still operates on nine acres in Bethpage on Long Island. 

Napoli hopes by this fall the judge will have ruled on a motion filed in his class action lawsuit against Northrop Grumman. The judge has also appointed a mediator to try and resolve the case through a settlement, the attorney added. 

Fox News producer Jennifer Johnson contributed to this report. 

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Northeast

Pilot, passenger swim to safety after plane crashes into New York’s Hudson River

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Pilot, passenger swim to safety after plane crashes into New York’s Hudson River

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A pilot and passenger swam through the frigid waters of the Hudson River and reached shore safely after their Cessna 172 made an emergency landing Monday night, officials said.

The aircraft had taken off from Long Island when the pilot was forced to land in the river just after 8 p.m., the Middle Hope Fire Department said in a Facebook post.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.

Middle Hope Fire Department responders, along with personnel from other agencies, were dispatched to the scene. After a brief search, first responders located the plane within the City of Newburgh, authorities said.

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A plane wades in the Hudson River. (Facebook/Middle Hope Fire Department)

Fire officials said the two occupants were able to free themselves from the aircraft and swim to shore. Newburgh Emergency Medical Services evaluated the pair before they were transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment.

Multiple agencies were on the scene after a plane crashed into the Hudson River. (Facebook/Middle Hope Fire Department)

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul hailed the incident as “Another miracle on Hudson.” 

“Thank God both the pilot and passenger of a single engine plane that performed an ice landing near Newburgh have been located with only minor injuries,” the governor wrote in a post on X. “Grateful to our first responders for their quick actions.” 

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A plane made an emergency landing on the Hudson River Monday evening. (Facebook/Middle Hope Fire Department)

New York Rep. Pat Ryan said he was “closely monitoring reports of a small plane making an emergency landing near the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.” 

“I’m in touch with officials on the ground, who have shared that both passengers are safely out of the water & have been evacuated by EMS,” he said. “Incredibly grateful for our Hudson Valley first responders who are responding swiftly and put their lives on the line to keep others safe.” 

First responders found the plane within the city limits of Newburgh. (Facebook/Middle Hope Fire Department)

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The cause of the emergency landing remains under investigation. 

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Boston, MA

Boston honors first casualty of American Revolution – The Boston Globe

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Boston honors first casualty of American Revolution – The Boston Globe


“In moments of challenge and in moments of conflict, it does feel easier to put your head down,” Wu said at an event at the Old State House commemorating Attucks.

“Remembering the full history pushes us to be the beacon of freedom that the rest of the country and the rest of the world so very much needs.”

Inside the Old State House’s council chambers, city leaders, historians, and students gathered to celebrate Attucks’ legacy. They talked about the importance of memorializing him during a time when many present said the contributions of people of color to American history were being erased by the Trump administration, and the country’s founding principles were under attack.

Senator Lydia Edwards said the death of Attucks and the four others killed during the Boston Massacre helped establish important legal principles that still guide the country today.

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Following the killings, British soldiers involved in the incident were put on trial. John Adams, who later became president, agreed to defend them in court, arguing that the rule of law must be upheld even during times of intense conflict.

“Even in these moments of strife, oppression of rogue federal government, that we remember that we stood up and still held to our court system, to the rule of law and to due process,” Edwards said. “We also remember who had to die in order to remind ourselves to do that.”

City Councilor Brian Worrell said Attucks was a symbol of the long struggle for equality in the country.

“It’s a story that is a reminder that Black and Indigenous Americans have always been at the forefront [of] the fight for justice,” Worrell said.

He said when he recounts Boston’s Black history, he almost always starts with Attucks’ story.

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“He fought not simply against the tea tax or the Stamp Act, he fought for the most basic of rights. He fought for equal human lives. It’s a fight we as a city are still having,” he said.

Jim Bennett spoke about the Boston Massacre during the commemoration inside the Old State House. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

Wu spoke about how on March 5, 2025, she was called to testify before Congress about Boston’s immigration policies during a six-hour hearing. She touted Boston’s safety record amid aggressive questioning, arguing that the city’s immigration policies improved public safety.

“On the 255th anniversary of the Boston Massacre, on Crispus Attucks Day, there was no way that this city wasn’t going to be represented in standing up for what’s right,” Wu said.

A chandelier lit the council chamber and red curtains covered its historic windows. On both sides of the room, students sat with their teachers. Winners of the Crispus Attucks Essay Contest, which invites local students to explore Attucks’ legacy, sat next to the podium.

“Sometimes history repeats itself,” said Toni Martin, an attendee at the event, who came to support her niece, who was being awarded. “Sometimes it gets better, but it takes revolutionary people to make change perfect.”

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Outside of the State House after the commemoration, Sharahn Pullum, 18, who came in second for the essay contest, said, “My inspiration was just getting the opportunity to speak on something that matters.”

Michael Kelly, 65, joined the wreath-laying ceremony that took place at the Boston Massacre Commemorative Plaza. Kelly held a sign that said, “Ice Out Be Goode,” referring to Renee Good, a US citizen who was shot and killed by immigration agents in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Kelly said he had been standing at the plaza for three hours and is planning to stand there the entire day.

“People can stretch their imaginations to understand that this place, what happened here, is not at all different than what happened in Minneapolis,” Kelly said with tears in his eyes. “People standing up for something they believe in is vastly important, and we can’t be daunted.”

Students from the Eliot School in Boston attended the commemoration. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff

Aayushi Datta can be reached at aayushi.datta@globe.com.





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Pittsburg, PA

Pirates Winning Streak Ends With Loss to Cardinals

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Pirates Winning Streak Ends With Loss to Cardinals


PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a strong showing so far in the Grapefruit League, but suffered a surprising defeat.

The Pirates lost 3-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla., taking just their third defeat in Spring Training so far, dropping to 9-3 in the Grapefruit League.

Pittsburgh saw their five-game winning streak come to an end, but they are still level with the New York Yankees at the top of the Grapefruit League standings.

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This game also came after the first off day for the Pirates on March 4 and a 7-1 win over Team Colombia in an exhibition at LECOM Park on March 3.

How the Pirates Fell to the Cardinals

Pirates right-handed pitcher Mitch Keller made his third start in the Grapefruit League and threw three scoreless innings, before giving up a solo home run to Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman on a slider down in the zone, putting the road team up 1-0 in the top of the fourth inning.

That represented the first run that Keller gave up all Spring Training and Pirates left-handed relief pitcher Derek Diamond came in for him after he gave up a single to Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker.

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Keller has just a 1.23 ERA over 7.1 innings for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League, a good start for the veteran on the starting rotation.

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St. Louis loaded the bases against Pirates left-handed relief pitcher Evan Sisk in the top of the fifth inning with three walks, but Sisk struckout top prospect in shortstop JJ Wetherholt and forced Gorman into a double play to keep it a one-run game.

Sep 11, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Evan Sisk (51) delivers a pitch during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images
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Pirates right-handed relief pitcher Chris Devenski gave up a run in the top of the sixth inning, as he walked second baseman Ramón Urías, who stole second base, then gave up a single to catcher Pedro Pagés, doubling the Cardinals’ lead at 2-0.

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The Pirates tied the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, as shortstop Alika Williams hit a two-run home run off of Cardinals left-handed pitcher Quinn Mathews.

Pirates right-handed relief pitcher Cam Sanders gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning, hitting leadoff batter Joshua Baez with a pitch and then giving up a single to pinch-hitter Jimmy Crooks to make it 3-2.

Right fielder Ryan O’Hearn had a strong showing for the Pirates in the loss to the Cardinals with two hits in two at-bats. He is now slashing .462/.563/.769 for an OPS of 1.332 in six Grapefruit League games.

Outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia had a hit off the bench for the Pirates, as he is now slashing .533/.611/.733 for an OPS of 1.344 in seven games.

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Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!



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