Tuesday, July 31, 2007

New York State links chemical hazard in Brighton neighborhood with dry cleaner

July 27, 2007 - A Brighton neighborhood already dealing with two hazardous sites now has a third — the former Speedy's Cleaners at 2150 Monroe Ave.

Tetrachloroethene (or PCE), a chemical commonly used by dry cleaners, was found in high levels in recent groundwater samples and now has been linked by state environmental officials to Speedy's, which moved from the Monroe Avenue site about two decades ago.

Officials have been investigating a PCE plume they believed originated at a second dry cleaner on the other side of Monroe Avenue, as well as a substantial gasoline leak from a neighboring service station in 2003.

All three contamination sources apparently affect the same neighborhood just southeast of Brighton's Twelve Corners.

The Speedy's contamination likely will add to existing concerns about toxic vapors rising from the groundwater and pooling in basements. At least 11 homes or commercial buildings in the area already have had ventilation systems installed to remove petroleum or PCE vapors.

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