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Dry-Cleaning Chemicals Leaking Into Soil, Groundwater

By Sharon Osorio

July 9, 2010 Updated Apr 9, 2008 at 6:14 PM EST

275 Franklin Street was the home of a dry cleaner for about 50 years, ending in 2000. And although the dry cleaner is gone, the DEC says there are chemicals used in dry cleaning in the soil and groundwater.
Tests from the DEC show that tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE, has seeped underground, and the PCE in some of the groundwater moving off that site is 3,600 times higher than it should be.
The state health department says there is no data to indicate potential human exposure. The DEC says until there's some data available, it's really much too early to say whether anything is a problem or not.
But the mayor says these findings may actually help get this location cleaned up.
A developer could now qualify to get tax credits to remediate the property, and restaurant owner Mark Croce tells 7 News he's expressed some interest in the site.
The mayor also wants it to qualify for the state brownfield remediation program to receive even more money and more incentives for a developer to clean the property. So far, it's been denied.
Within the next few weeks, the DEC will to check whether the chemicals are invading basements in the area in the form of vapors. They'll also be installing groundwater wells off-site to see how far, and in what direction, the groundwater has moved. That will determine how much the DEC will need to clean up. The DEC would be responsible for cleaning any contaminants off-site, and would then try to identify the party responsible to help pay for it.

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