Contaminated groundwater has been found at the site of a former dry cleaning operation in Nichols, New York. The contamination plume appears to be spreading toward the United Water Company supply well which is located less than 1500 feet downgradient of the site and provides water for most of the Village of Nichols.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), "the site is the source of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) originating from a dry cleaning operation where solvents were believed to have been disposed in a septic tank or drywell." The site includes properties at 23, 31, 37, and 47 South Main Street in the Village of Nichols. PCE has been detected in groundwater at up to 220 parts per billion (PPB) and in two private home owner wells.

NYSDEC ranked the site as a Class 2 Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Site "which indicates a significant amount of hazardous waste is present, and the presence of the hazardous waste has resulted in a significant threat to human health or the environment" and that action is required.

Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) is a man-made substance widely used for dry cleaning fabrics and textiles. It is a colorless liquid with a mildly sweet, chloroform-like odor. (The dry cleaning process is not really "dry." The clothes are soaked in a solvent.)

NYSDEC discovered the contamination in 1994 during a remediation of a petroleum spill at Nichols One Stop. In addition to the contaminants expected from a release of petroleum products, chlorinated solvents were found to be present in the groundwater.

In 1996, NYSDEC conducted a Preliminary Site Assessment (PSA) to determine the source of chlorinated solvents. On October 24, 1996, a public meeting was held to inform residents about the investigation and to ask them for information on possible sources. NYSDEC also analyzed samples of the area's groundwater which "showed significant subsurface contamination behind the residences located at 23, 31, 37, and 47 South Main Street. A definitive determination on the location and method of disposal of the waste solvents could not be made during the PSA."

Last month, NYSDEC sent letters to the property owners or their representatives, those who own property near the site, and to the mayor of the Village of Nichols as notification that the site has been included in the Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites in NYS. According to NYSDEC, water quality at the public well is being monitored on a regular basis to ensure that only water that meets the New York State Department of Health's drinking water quality criteria enters the municipal water system."

NYSDEC will now determine if a Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) with sufficient means to conduct a Remedial Investigation / Feasibility Study (RI/FS) and Remedial Program exists.

According to NYSDEC, a Citizen Participation Program must be implemented. At various points in the remediation process, there will be community/public meetings that explain what is or has been done. "No remedy can be implemented without allowing the public a reasonable amount of time to comment on the remedy."

Based on what is known about the source of contamination at this time, the possible remedies include removal of contaminated soil, soil vapor extraction (SVE), ground water treatment such as air stripping, and monitored natural attenuation."

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, "the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that tetrachloroethylene may reasonably be anticipated to be a carcinogen. Based on evidence from animal studies, tetrachloroethylene is thought to be capable of causing cancer in humans. It should be emphasized, however, that currently available information is not sufficient to determine whether tetrachloroethylene causes cancer in humans"

If you live on or near the contaminated site and would like more informtaion, you can contact NYSDEC at 1-800-342-9296 or the Department of Health's Health Liaison Program (HeLP) 1-800-458-1158, ext 6402.