Environmentalists: Cars Wrecked During Sandy Creating Natural Disaster

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – An environmental group believes that sensitive Long Island land is being contaminated by cars damaged during superstorm Sandy.

Despite a state order, hundreds of damaged cars are still parked on the grasslands off the runways of the Calverton air strip. The Long Island Pine Barrens Society (LIPBS) is concerned that the vehicles are leaking chemicals into the soil.

"They are leaking contaminants that float on the surface of water," said Dick Amper of the LIPBS. "The notion that those wrecked cars are not a threat to leak is preposterous."

Many Riverhead residents told CBS 2's Carolyn Gusoff that the $2.5 million raised in revenue by leasing the land to the wrecked cars has been welcomed.

The environmental group has taken photos of what they believe to be oil slicks left from parked vehicles and have shared them with officials at the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). State DEC officials confirmed that they have seen the images. Inspectors were sent late Tuesday afternoon to examine the site.

CBS 2 did not receive access to the area in question.

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