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| Flash Cleaners | Pompano Beach, Florida | |
| Broward County |
Site Location
Flash Cleaners has an area of about 0.5 acre and is located at 4131 North Federal Highway, Pompano Beach, Broward County, Florida.
Site History
Flash Cleaners was operated as a dry cleaning facility from 1977 to approximately 2001. Dry cleaning operations have been discontinued at the site. The facility is currently being used as a drop-off location for outsourced dry cleaning services. During a 1999 Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) inspection, FDEP noted the presence of two dry cleaning machines at the facility. The non-operational machine and waste containers were located on a bare concrete floor with no secondary containment. Wastewater from dry cleaning activities were reportedly discharged to an on-site septic tank, which resulted in soil and ground water contamination.
Site Contamination/Contaminants
Analytical results of surface and subsurface soil samples collected throughout the property and a sludge sample collected from the on-site septic tank contained site-related hazardous substances, including cis-1,2-dichloroethene (DCE), trans-1,2-DCE, PCE, and trichloroethene (TCE). Concentrations of PCE and TCE detected in the sludge sample collected from the on-site septic tank were above the federal regulatory limits. Site-related hazardous substances detected in on-site soil and the septic tank sludge were detected above background concentrations in on-site monitoring wells completed in the Biscayne aquifer. Also, cis-1,2-DCE, PCE, TCE, and vinyl chloride were detected in the ground water samples above EPA's Safe Drinking Water Act maximum contaminant levels (MCLs).
Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment
About 220,378 people within a 4-mile radius of Flash Cleaners are provided drinking water from one of four municipal systems: the City of Deerfield Beach, the Town of Hillsboro, Broward County District 2A, and the City of Pompano Beach. These water departments obtain drinking water from municipal wells that withdraw water from the sole-source Biscayne Aquifer. The nearest municipal well is located about 0.8 mile northwest of Flash Cleaners. Nearby canals and the Hillsboro River might also be contaminated from ground water contamination emanating from Flash Cleaners. These surface water bodies are habitats for federally designated endangered and threatened species.
Response Activities (to date)
In 2001, sludge contained in the on-site septic tank was pumped out and disposed of as hazardous waste. EPA and the state have conducted a preliminary assessment, site inspection, and expanded site inspection at the site.
Need for NPL Listing
The State of Florida referred the site to EPA after they determined that the site was not eligible for the state dry-cleaner remediation program. The responsible party did not meet the minimum requirements for application to the program and it would not be eligible for the state waste cleanup program because it does not accept sites that qualify for the federal Superfund program. EPA received a letter of support for placing this site on the NPL from the state.1776
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56 FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at ATSDR - ToxFAQs (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html) or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.