22 Dec State Agency Finds Harmful Chemicals in Soil in Richmond

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control’s mission is to protect California’s people, communities, and environment from toxic substances, to enhance economic vitality by restoring contaminated land, and to compel manufacturers to make safer consumer products. (DTSC via Bay City News)

By Joshua Picazo
Bay City News

A high concentration of harmful chemicals that are known to cause cancer were found near the site of a former dry-cleaning business in Richmond, according to a local health agency on Thursday.

Contra Costa Health, which alerts the public to safety hazards, said the California Department of Toxic Substances Control found the high concentration at the location following a sampling of the soil.

The results showed unsafe levels of tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, benzene, and other chemicals known to cause cancer and cause non-cancer adverse effects.

Although the dry-cleaning business has not been in operation since 2001, the location at 2022 Barrett Ave. is occupied by an unrelated business today.

The investigation was completed by a DTSC contractor in September of this year, at which point the contractors sampled the soil in a public right-of-way adjacent to the address.

The agency said it chose to sample the site due to its former use as a dry-cleaning business.

Exposure to PCE and TCE, which are industrial degreasing agents commonly used in dry-cleaning, is associated with cancer and non-cancer hazards according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

According to the University of Southern California Center for Health Journalism, a 2006 survey found that at least 80% of California dry-cleaners were using PCE. However its usage has been banned since Jan. 1 of this year.

A state funded initiative called the Discovery and Enforcement Program means the site will likely be cleaned up by the state, as $152 million in the state budget has been set aside to tackle the issue of toxic chemicals primarily found at drycleaning sites.

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