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Continental Cleaners
National Information
Photos/Multimedia
Former Continental Cleaners dry cleaning facility.
Additional Resources
- Site Cleanup Terms - can be found in EPA's glossary
- EPA Guides to Cleanup Technologies
- Superfund Community Involvement (PDF) (17 pp, 130K, About PDF)
Site Summary Profile
EPA ID: FLD982130098Location: Miami, Miami-Dade County, FL
Lat/Long: 25.831842, -80.210178
Congressional District:15
NPL Status: Proposed: 09/16/11, Final 3/15/12
Affected Media: Soil and Ground water
Cleanup Status: EPA is planning a thorough investigation of the site
Human Exposure Under Control: Yes
Ground water Migration Under Control: No
Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use: No
Site Reuse/Redevelopment:Inactive
Site Manager: Barbara Alfano (alfano.barbara@epa.gov)
Current Site Status
The Continental Cleaners site includes the area where a dry cleaning facility operated from 1967 to 2005. A commercial laundry providing off-site dry cleaning services currently operates in the former dry cleaning facility building. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in March 2012 because of contaminated soil and ground water resulting from dry cleaning activities. Site contamination does not currently threaten people living and working near the site. Residents and businesses near the site use the public water system for drinking water. EPA and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) have conducted preliminary investigations at the site and will be conducting further investigations to determine the extent of contamination resulting from the release of site-related chemicals.
Site Location and Background
The site is located 798 NW 62nd St. on the southeast corner property at the intersection of NW 62nd Street and NW 8th Avenue in the Liberty City neighborhood in Miami, Florida. The site is less than an acre in size. Site features include a single-story, 2,400-square-foot building built in 1938, an asphalt parking lot in front of the building and a grass back yard. The site is fenced with locked access gates. Commercial, residential and community uses surround the site. The Belafonte Tacolcy Center, a community center, is located across the street to the west.
Continental Cleaners operated a laundry and dry cleaning services facility at the site from 1967 until about 2005. A previous owner may have used the property as a gas station or repair shop. In the 1990s, local officials identified the release of dry cleaning chemicals to the ground and ground water. Since then, numerous studies have documented tetrachloroethylene (also known as PCE or PERC), a common dry cleaning solvent, and its breakdown products in the soil and ground water at the site. FDEP determined that the site was ineligible to participate in the state Drycleaning Solvent Cleanup Program due to gross negligence at the site. FDEP and EPA hen evaluated the site for the Superfund program.
A commercial laundry providing off-site dry cleaning services currently operates in the former dry cleaning facility building.
Threats and Contaminants
Investigations at the site found contamination in soil and ground water from dry cleaning operations. Contaminants of concern include PCE, trichloroethylene (TCE) and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (DCE). TCE and DCE are breakdown products of PCE. The levels of these volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ground water significantly exceed state and federal drinking water standards. Site contamination does not threaten people living and working near the site. Residents and businesses near the site use the public water system for drinking water.
In 2011, EPA conducted a soil gas study. Based on the study's results, EPA determined that vapor intrusion into nearby buildings is not a threat. EPA held a public meeting at the local community center to discuss the sampling results with the community.
What You Should Know about Vapor Intrusion fact sheet (PDF)(2 pp, 90K, About PDF)
Investigation and Cleanup Responsibility / Oversight
EPA leads site investigation and cleanup activities, in cooperation with FDEP.
Site Cleanup Plan
EPA will propose a cleanup plan after the site's remedial investigation/feasibility study is complete and share it with the community for comment.
Cleanup Progress
EPA is in the site investigation stage of the Superfund process. Cleanup will begin after the community has commented on the proposed cleanup plan.
Enforcement Activities
EPA has used federal funds for site investigations to date. EPA will also use federal funds to further investigate and clean up the site. The site's potentially responsible party is unable to pay for the site's cleanup.
EPA will place a Superfund cost recovery lien on the site property. The lien can help EPA recover some or all of its cleanup costs from the site in the future.
Community Involvement
EPA and FDEP will work with the community to investigate the nature and extent of contamination at the site and develop a long-range cleanup plan, which reflects the Agency's commitment to safe, healthy communities and environmental protection. Community engagement and public outreach are core components of EPA program activities.
EPA will conduct a range of community involvement activities at the site to provide information and solicit community input about site activities throughout the Superfund process. Outreach activities will include sending fact sheets, publishing public notices, interviewing residents and business owners, hosting meetings, and going door-to-door. EPA will publish public notices in English and Spanish.
In August 2011, EPA hosted a public meeting to inform the community about sampling results and proposing the site for listing on the NPL.
Future Work
EPA will be at the site to sample the soil and ground water over the next few years. EPA and FDEP will continue to coordinate future efforts.
Additional Information
EPA keeps additional site documents and information in a site information repository at the location below. EPA also posts site documents, when available, on EPA's CERCLIS Site Profile page. For documents not available on the website, please contact the Region 4 Freedom of Information Office.
Site Repository
Belafonte Tacolcy Center
6161 NW 9th Avenue
Miami, FL
33127