originally posted on July 7, 2016

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) — A Long Island town has filed a $50 million federal lawsuit against the Navy, Northrop Grumman and others over groundwater contamination.

Newsday reports (http://nwsdy.li/29BlXmX ) Hempstead filed the lawsuit late last month, alleging negligent behavior led to contaminated water supplies in Levittown. The town discovered low levels of Freon and volatile organic chemicals at two well sites.

The town is spending $7 million to build water treatment facilities. The lawsuit seeks to recover those costs and protect residents.

Some of the contamination stems from a more than 600-acre site where airplanes were manufactured.

The Navy declined to comment. The company declined comment on the lawsuit, but said it is working to address “various legacy environmental conditions.”

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This story has been corrected to show the correct spelling of Northrop Grumman.