San Francisco Neighborhood gets tested for toxic chemicals

August 16, 2007 - Some people in Castro Valley are about to find out just how contaminated their neighborhood really is. State workers took soil and water samples from around a dry cleaning business that has already tested positive for high levels of the chemical used to clean clothes.

The colorless odorless liquid used in dry cleaning machines is called perchloroethylene or perc for short. The state dept. of toxic substances control says initial testing, shows levels of perc, above the state maximum, contaminated the ground water around a Castro Valley cleaners.

Rose Linder, Peet's Coffee Employee: "We get headaches quite often."

Rose Linder says the letter sent out to residents, within a square mile of the cleaner, explains it all.

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