Toxic chemicals detected at former Richmond dry cleaner
High levels of toxic chemicals have been identified at a former dry cleaner in Richmond, causing health officials to install monitors and consider evacuating residents if chemicals are detected above safety levels.
This week, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control contacted Contra Costa County and city health officials, alerting them to recent tests that showed an alarming amount of hazardous chemicals at the site located at 2022 Barett Avenue.
The Discovery and Enforcement (D&E) Program is part of the Cleanup in Vulnerable Communities Initiative (CVCI) to protect the health of vulnerable communities. This new site discovery program will focus on sites containing dry-cleaning chemicals that have been released into the environment and could affect our communities.
According to the DTSC, there are 112 concerning locations in California that require testing for the presence of hazardous chemicals, including five more locations in Richmond.
The report shows six concerning chemicals found at the location, one of which is identified as Trichloroethylene also known as TCE, which, according to test samples, was pegged at 793,000 micrograms per cubic meter, well above known safe levels of 24 micrograms per cubic meter.
This story is currently evolving, check back for updates.
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