Carson Cleaners

Ecology invited comments for 30-days (April 26 - May 25, 2021) on an Agreed Order (legal agreement) and Public Participation Plan for the Carson Cleaners cleanup site (Site). The Site is located at 4701 Brooklyn Ave NE in Seattle’s University District neighborhood. 

Ecology has reviewed and considered all public comments received on the Agreed Order and Public Participation Plan. Based on Ecology's evaluation of the comments, no changes were necessary in the documents, and they are being finalized. (Download Ecology's Response to Comments)

Work will begin on the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study. See infographic below and visit Ecology's cleanup process webpage to learn more about Washington's formal cleanup process. 

The legal agreement between Ecology, Tahn Associates LLC, and Carson Cleaners requires the Potentially Liable Persons (PLPs) to conduct a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study, and prepare a Draft Cleanup Action Plan. In April 2021, Ecology invited comment on:

·        Draft Agreed Order: This legal agreement requires the PLPs to investigate and describe contamination (Remedial Investigation), analyze cleanup options (Feasibility Study), and develop a draft Cleanup Action Plan (dCAP). The dCAP describes how the selected cleanup alternative will be performed. The public will have a chance to make public comments after these documents are created.

·        Public Participation Plan:  This document explains how people can participate in the cleanup process.

The former Carson Cleaners operated a dry-cleaning business as a tenant on the property from the early 1960s until 2014. During the 2018-2019 environmental cleanup of the Chevron 90129 Site across the street, chemicals commonly used in dry cleaning operations were discovered in the southwestern portion of the Chevron property and along the edge of NE 47^th Street. These chemicals were in the form of halogenated volatile organic compounds (HVOC). After studying the groundwater flow direction, it was determined that these chemicals may have come from Carson Cleaners.

Tahn Associates LLC purchased the property in 2012 and is the current owner. As the owners of the property, Ecology determined that Tahn Associates LLC is a PLP in this cleanup.

Contamination

Chemicals present in soil and groundwater:

·        Halogenated Volatile Organic Compounds (HVOCs)

o   Trichloroethylene (TCE),

o   Tetrachloroethylene (PCE),

o   Vinyl Chloride (VC),

o   1,1-Dichloroethene and 1,2-Dichloroethene, known collectively as Dichloroethene (DCE)

The Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) is Washington’s environmental cleanup law. It provides requirements for contaminated site cleanup and sets standards that protect human health and the environment. Ecology enacts the MTCA and oversees cleanups. The MTCA site cleanup process is completed in steps over a variable timeline (see graphic below with current step highlighted in red).