Dry cleaning site added to Superfund list
EAST GREENBUSH — A dry cleaner location on Columbia Turnpike was added to the state’s Superfund list this month due to “past uses of the site,” the state Department of Environmental Conservation said.
The Crown Cleaners location at 627 (and 627 Rear) Columbia Turnpike has been identified as having contaminated groundwater and soil from volatile organic compounds, the DEC said in posting the site.
“Past uses of the site have resulted in contamination of groundwater and soil. Applicable standards, criteria and guidance values are exceeded for volatile organic compounds,” DEC said. It said more investigation is needed to define the nature and extent of contamination related
to the site, to characterize potential human exposure pathways and evaluate any remediation plans, the agency said.
The location is not the only regional dry cleaning business site on the Superfund list. In
2016, DEC added Fashion Care Cleaning at 595 Columbia Turnpike for having the same chemical contamination from tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene. In 2018, DEC also added the former United One-hour Dry
Cleaners at 170 Columbia Turnpike to the list.
The primary substance at Crown Cleaners that DEC cited is tetrachloroethene, a chemical used in dry cleaning. The other two chemicals also found at the site were cis-1,2-dichloroethene and trichloroethene which may be used as solvents. A dry cleaning business continues at the site, but the DEC didn’t identify the owner.
In listing the site, DEC has it classified as “P.” Regarding the P classification, the agency says, “DEC offers this information with the caution that it should not be used to form conclusions about site contamination beyond what is implied by the classification of this site, namely, that there is a potential for concern about site contamination. Information regarding a Class P site (potential Registry site) is by definition preliminary in nature and unverified because the DEC’S investigation of the site is not yet complete. Due to the preliminary nature of this information, significant conclusions or decisions should not be based solely upon this summary.”
DEC included information about testing undertaken in 2019 for the then-owner. It was noted in the study that there was an impact on the soil and groundwater from the solvents and that the site had close proximity to other businesses and residential areas. The DEC continues to investigate the site.
The Times Union left a message with a person answering the phone Monday at the business who said the owners were not available.