Residents gathered outside Brookhaven Town Hall on Thursday to call for the Brookhaven Landfill to be fully closed and cleaned up, citing concerns about groundwater contamination and potential public health impacts in surrounding communities.

Members of the Brookhaven Groundwater Landfill Action and Remediation Group say contamination from the landfill has been detected in groundwater since 2017. They allege the issue has affected nearby areas, including Horizon Village.

Bellport and Yaphank, which are close to parks, Bellport Senior High School and a library.

News 12 has previously reported on lawsuits filed against the Town of Brookhaven after some residents claim their health problems are linked to the landfill, though town officials have not publicly confirmed those claims.

“Our council members are elected officials who refused to even meet with us, and then DEC says we’re going to force them to meet with you,” said Kerim Odek, of the Brookhaven Landfill Action and Remediation Group. “We’re requiring a corrective action plan and a public meeting is part of that.”

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says sampling conducted in 2022 at the Brookhaven Landfill detected contaminants, including PFOA and PFOS, above state guidance levels in on-site monitoring wells.

The DEC says the town is required to complete a corrective measures assessment, hold a public meeting and submit a report to the state by April. Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said a meeting is scheduled for March 27, giving residents another opportunity to get answers.

When asked about drinking water safety, Panico said, “The public drinking water, the Suffolk County Water Authority water, is absolutely safe.”

The DEC added that any private wells that exceeded state limits were connected to public water or provided with point-of-entry treatment systems.