Project Overview
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New York District is addressing the Sylvania Corning FUSRAP Site under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP). Under this program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers identifies, investigates and, if necessary, cleans up sites throughout the United States that were used as part of the nation’s early atomic weapons and energy program.
The Sylvania Corning Plant/former Sylvania Electric Products Facility (a.k.a., Sylcor) site (the Site) is a 9.49 acres area divided into three (3) separate properties located at 70, 100, and 140 Cantiague Rock Road, Town of Oyster Bay, County of Nassau, State of New York, in the westernmost portion of Hicksville, Long Island approximately thirty (30) miles east of lower Manhattan. The Site was utilized for the manufacture of Government and commercial nuclear elements (e.g., cores, slugs, fuel elements) for reactors used in research and electric power generation between 1952 and 1967. Operations at the Site used natural, enriched, and depleted uranium, and to a lesser extent thorium. Site contamination consists of these radioactive materials as well as nickel and volatile organics. Sylvania and related entities ("Sylvania") conducted nuclear work on site under a major contract to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) from 1952-1965 as well as conducted other nuclear work for commercial and other government contracts.
Project Status
USACE completed a Preliminary Assessment, an on-Site Remedial Investigation, and a Comprehensive Remedial Investigation which included groundwater downgradient of the Site between 2005 and 2021, in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response and Compensation Act (CERCLA). In 2011, the USEPA listed the regional groundwater contamination on the National Priorities List (NPL) called the New Cassel/Hicksville Ground Water Contamination Superfund site, of which the Sylcor Site is a contributor to. In Fiscal Year 2022, to support development of a Feasibility Study (FS), USACE completed a uranium mobility study to understand the transport of uranium from Site soils to groundwater, and a Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) pilot study to determine the effectiveness of this technology to remove volatile compounds from Site soils. During Fiscal Year 2025, USACE finalized the FS Report and commenced with preparation of the Proposed Plan.
Path Forward
During Fiscal Year 2026, USACE anticipates finalizing the Proposed Plan which provides a recommendation for the preferred remedial alternative. Further, USACE will be implementing an Expanded SVE Pilot Study to obtain additional data to support a full-scale design.
For Additional Information
Erik Gustafson, Project Manager
Phone: (917) 790-8231
Erik.W.Gustafson@usace.army.mil