For over 40 years, College 60 Minute Cleaners operated at the same location in a commercial and residential area. They used tetrachloroethene (PCE) for their operations from 1974 through 2015. Then, one day, vapors were detected at elevated levels in the neighboring apartment and restaurant, and EnviroForensics installed an extensive vapor mitigation system.
College 60 Cleaners then executed a Voluntary Remediation Agreement (VRA) with IDEM’s Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) to begin the environmental investigation and remediation process. Next, EnviroForensics conducted Confidential Insurance Archeology and uncovered historical insurance to fund the environmental cleanup. Then, EnviroForensics conducted subsurface investigations to determine the extent of soil and groundwater impacts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with carbon tetrachloride and tetrachloroethene (PCE) and its associated breakdown products. The results from the investigation activities defined the horizontal and vertical extent of soil and groundwater impacts. Then vapor intrusion (VI) investigations and mitigation were conducted at neighboring locations in the area.
The drycleaner operated throughout the environmental investigation, and their historical insurance helped fund over $1.65 million in environmental investigation costs. As a result, the bulk of contamination has been remediated. The site is in the monitoring and reporting phase of the site closure process. The owner sold their property at a fair market value, and the air quality was restored at the apartment complex and restaurant.
