Superfund Cleanup To Begin At Crystal Cleaners Site In Pelham

PELHAM, NY — Cleanup under New York’s State Superfund Program is about to begin for contamination around Crystal Cleaners in Pelham.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, remedial activities at the site at 113 Wolfs Lane are expected to commence in the fall and will be completed in two phases.

The first phase will consist of soil excavation and groundwater treatment in the village's public works yard, which is located behind the dry cleaner on Sparks Avenue. This phase is expected to require about six weeks to complete.

The details for the second phase of the remedy are still being designed but will consist of additional groundwater treatment to the south along Manning Circle, DEC officials said.

The estimated cost to implement the first phase of the remedy is $600,000.

The site is an active dry cleaner operating in a single-story commercial building. It is listed as a class "2" site in the State Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites (list of State Superfund sites). A class 2 site represents a significant threat to public health or the environment; action is required.

The investigation identified volatile organic compounds (VOCs), often associated with dry cleaning, as the site’s primary contaminants of concern. These include tetrachloroethene (PCE) and three associated breakdown products, trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1,2 dichloroethene (DCE) and vinyl chloride, DEC officials said.

The contamination has affected soil, groundwater and soil vapor nearby. It has migrated off-site, in groundwater and soil vapor, toward the south-southwest.

The key components of the remedy are:

• Excavation and off-site disposal of chlorinated solvent impacted soil on the Village of Pelham property. Approximately 215 cubic yards of soil will be removed to an expected depth of 8 feet. Clean backfill that meets NYSDEC soil cleanup objectives will be used to restore site grade.
• In-situ treatment of contaminated groundwater on the Village property and downgradient areas. Treatment media will be applied to the subsurface through multiple injection points. The media will stimulate the breakdown of contamination through natural biological processes.
• Maintain the site’s current soil cover system. The cover will consist of either a one-foot clean soil cover or existing structures or pavement in areas where the upper one foot of exposed surface soil exceeds the applicable soil cleanup objectives.
• Development of a Site Management Plan (SMP) for the long-term maintenance and monitoring of the site’s remedy.
• Recording of an Environmental Easement to ensure implementation of the SMP.