The 2-acre (0.8 ha) Site is an inactive chemical distribution facility located on Long Island on Garvies Point Road, about 166 yards (152 m) north of Glen Cove Creek. Garvies Point Preserve, which fronts Hempstead Harbor, is located west of the site along Garvies Point Road. From the mid-1960s until 1987, Mattiace received chemicals by tank truck and redistributed them to its customers. The company also operated the M&M Drum Cleaning Company on the Site until 1982. During its operational period, the Mattiace property contained a Quonset hut, shed, concrete loading dock, and approximately 56 storage tanks, most of which were underground. In 1987, after seven years of failed negotiations and litigation regarding various waste-handling and environmental infractions, the State of New York seized the property. At that time, many drums and tanks of organic, acid, and alkali liquids remained.

The primary migration pathways from the Site to habitats of concern in Glen Cove Creek were direct discharge through underground pipes, groundwater discharge, and surface water transport. When the facility was in operation, overflowing chemicals and stormwater were transported to a solvent/stormwater separator and ultimately discharged to the creek. Runoff eroded soil and created gullies in the driveway that served to direct flow towards Garvies Point Road. Garvies Point Road is connected to Glen Cove Creek via a storm sewer and underground pipe. In 1980, Mattiace obtained a state pollution discharge elimination permit to discharge stormwater overland. The permit expired in 1982 and was not renewed due to permit violations. Contaminated groundwater may have contributed to surface water contamination. Additionally, 2 large leaching pools were constructed on-site to collect surface water runoff and to leach solvents into the ground.

In 1988, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) implemented an emergency removal action to secure the Site and remove more than 120,000 gallons of hazardous liquids. Samples were collected to characterize on-site contaminants, and 100,000 gallons of flammable liquids, 20,000 gallons of contaminated water, and 1,800 gallons of liquids containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were removed from the Site.