Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Nevada neighborhood to be tested for vapor intrusion

September 3, 2007 - People who live just east of the Boulevard Mall are learning that an underground chemical leak might have contaminated the air inside their homes.

First and foremost, state environmental officials want to emphasize that there is no immediate health threat to anyone who works or lives near the Boulevard Mall and that the actions they are taking now are strictly precautionary.

The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection says the owner of a former dry cleaning company once located in the Maryland Square shopping center notified officials that there had been a chemical leak on site about two years ago.

The chemical, known as perchloroethylene, or PCE, or PERC, is a degreasing chemical used in the dry cleaning process and many common household cleaning products.

The state says immediate testing back then revealed the chemical had made its way into the shallow groundwater below the Boulevard Mall, and a neighborhood just east of the mall where nearly 150 homeowners currently live.

More . . .

No comments: