Cleanup of Rickett’s Dry Cleaning Site, Village of Ballston Spa, NY

The Rickett’s Dry Cleaning Site is located in a mixed commercial and residential area in the village of Ballston Spa on County Route 50. The site was the location of a family owned dry cleaner/ laundromat that went out of business in 2014. The site has been impacted by a historic release of tetrachloroethylene (also known as perchloroethylene, or PCE) (PDF) used in dry cleaning activities.

In July 2016, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) requested that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) perform an environmental assessment of the site. In August 2016, the EPA collected air samples to determine if dry cleaning chemicals have been released into the environment. The following contaminants were detected in air underneath and/or inside the dry cleaner above EPA health benchmarks: chloroform; TCE (trichloroethylene); PCE; vinyl chloride; benzene; and naphthalene.

In February of 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collected air samples at 50 properties located near the Rickett’s Dry Cleaning facility.  The air samples were collected to determine if any of the properties have been impacted by vapor intrusion as the result of chemicals being released into the environment at the Rickett’s Dry Cleaning facility.

Based on EPA’s assessment of the February 2017 sampling data, no corrective actions for vapor intrusion were required at any of the properties sampled.

During the winter of 2018, sampling was conducted at 11 previously sampled properties to gather additional information to confirm that there have been no changes in the conditions at the properties since the 2017 sampling event. 

The January 2018 Community Update fact sheet provides additional information about the sampling effort and includes “General Questions and Answers about Vapor Intrusion.”  View all community updates.

The results from the 2018 sampling were consistent with previous results. Based on the EPA’s assessment of the 2018 sampling data, no corrective actions for vapor intrusion were required at any of the properties sampled. The concentrations of chemicals detected at the sampled properties were significantly below EPA’s established target levels which were developed to be protective of human health.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is the lead agency for the long-term investigation of the site and will be evaluating cleanup alternatives.

If you have general questions or would like additional information regarding the site, please contact one of the following: