Franke's Laundromat operated as a laundry and dry-cleaning facility from the early 1960's until the business closed in March 2000. The site has been unoccupied since. Site investigation activities conducted by the property owners and City of Caldwell since 1999 have revealed high concentrations of tetrachloroethene, also known as perchloroethylene (PCE) in soils and groundwater at and downgradient of the site. PCE was detected in shallow groundwater at the site as high as 155,000 ug/l. PCE is in the lower aquifer 400 feet downgradient from the site at 120 ug/l. PCE in soils at approximately 9 foot depth are as high as 450 mg/kg.
On June 24, 2003, EPA entered into an Administrative Order on Consent with the property owners for removal site investigation activities, to characterize the lateral and vertical extent of PCE contamination and investigate appropriate removal action. The property owners subsequently refused to enter into additional negotiations for removal cleanup activities. EPA, therefore, initiated removal action on May 24, 2004, to remove PCE contaminated soils that present an on-site human health exposure threat, or threat of continued migration off-site in groundwater and soils. In order to access highly contaminated soils beneath and adjacent to the former laundromat, the unoccupied building must be demolished and removed.
