Former San Pablo Avenue dry cleaner owners reach $100,800 settlement over toxic chemical cleanup violations

State regulators have secured more than $100,000 in penalties from the owners and former operators of a shuttered Richmond dry cleaning business after they reportedly failed to comply with a 2023 toxic cleanup order, California environmental officials announced last week.

The Department of Toxic Substances Control reached settlement agreements with Casa Nido Partnership, the current property owner, and three former operators of Omo's Fabricare Dry Cleaners at 12210 San Pablo Avenue, Catherine O'Hanks, Earl Ray Anderson, and Sandra Vernell. The four consent orders total $100,800 in penalties.

The violations stem from noncompliance with a 2023 DTSC cleanup order requiring the parties to investigate and remediate the release of tetrachloroethylene, commonly known as PCE, at the site. PCE is a solvent widely used in dry cleaning operations that California lists as a known carcinogen.

State investigators confirmed that PCE released at the site has migrated into soil, groundwater, and the air of neighboring properties to the north, south, east, and west. PCE vapors from contaminated soil and groundwater can seep into buildings and degrade indoor air quality, posing health risks to residents and workers.

Omo's Fabricare operated at the San Pablo Avenue location from approximately 1959 to 2015 and used PCE from at least 1960 to 2000. The building was demolished in 2017, and the roughly one-tenth-acre parcel has been fenced and vacant since then.

Records show contamination has spread at least 250 feet southwest of the site in groundwater, with traces detected more than 1,000 feet away. PCE and a related compound, trichloroethylene, have been detected in crawl spaces and indoor air at occupied neighboring buildings.

"DTSC takes violations of our cleanup orders very seriously," DTSC Director Katherine Butler said in a statement. "This settlement reinforces our commitment to holding responsible parties accountable and protecting communities from the lasting impacts of toxic chemicals."

Under the original 2023 order, the responsible parties were required to conduct a full remedial investigation, maintain an existing soil vapor extraction system on the property, and install permanent security fencing, among other obligations. Noncompliance with the order carried potential penalties of up to $25,000 per day per respondent.

The cleanup process is ongoing. DTSC said it will require the parties to prepare a formal cleanup plan for public review once the full extent of contamination is determined.

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