The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) recently announced a $100,800 settlement with the owners and former operators of a vacant dry cleaning site in Richmond.
This agreement follows a 2023 order involving Omo’s Fabricare Dry Cleaners at 12210 San Pablo Ave. The site has been fenced and empty since the building was torn down in 2017, according to public documents.
The settlement includes the property owner, Casa Nido Partnership, and former operators Catherine O’Hanks, Earl Ray Anderson and Sandra Vernell. The penalties were issued because the group did not follow previous orders to clean up a chemical called tetrachloroethylene (PCE), according to DTSC. The dry cleaner reportedly used this cancer-causing chemical from 1960 to 2000.
State investigators found that the PCE and its byproduct, trichloroethylene (TCE), spread in every direction from the property, including the Miraflores Housing Development about 1,000 feet away. DTSC officials first found contaminated groundwater at Miraflores in the early 2000s and eventually traced it back to the dry cleaner.
These chemicals are volatile, which means they can turn into gases that travel through the soil. These vapors can enter nearby buildings and ruin the indoor air quality, officials said.
As part of the deal, the responsible parties must pay for and finish a full investigation into how far the pollution has spread. Once the study is done, the DTSC will create a final cleanup plan for the public to review. Under the 2023 order, a vacuum-like system that pulls toxic fumes out of the ground must be kept running to protect neighbors.
“DTSC takes violations of our cleanup orders very seriously,” DTSC Director Katherine Butler said. “This settlement reinforces our commitment to holding responsible parties accountable and protecting communities from the lasting impacts of toxic chemicals.”
