Public health

Dry cleaners’ solvents taint Martinsville’s water

The dry cleaning industry’s use of environmentally hazardous solvents is declining, but the legacy of “perc” is an expensive one that will haunt cities such as Martinsville for decades. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed placing the Morgan County seat on its Superfund priority list, citing groundwater contamination traced to several former dry cleaning shops in the heart of town.

The contamination forced the city’s water utility to install filtering equipment eight years ago. But as the groundwater contamination migrates toward the city’s water wells, the level of pollution is rising at a pace that will require Martinsville to tap a new well field within 10 years.

“It’s definitely one of the largest ones we’ve got,” Indiana Department of Environmental Management spokeswoman Amy Hartsock said of the contaminated Martinsville site, one of about 170 dry cleaner sites statewide in some phase of cleanup. The upside is that the use of the hazardous chemicals appears to be declining and sites undergoing cleanup “are not going back to perc,” said Rick Armstrong, executive director of the Richmond-based Midwest Drycleaning and Laundry Association. Others are winding down perc use as they opt for more efficient machines or as they change out […]

Summary
Article Name
Dry cleaners' solvents taint Martinsville's water
Description
Dry cleaners' contamination migrates toward city water wells: pollution rising at pace that'll require Martinsville to tap a new well field within 10 years.
Author
Publisher Name
Indiana Business Journal
Publisher Logo

Recent Posts

Why Isn’t the LA Regional Board Doing More to Protect Groundwater?

Protecting Groundwater Through the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board The Los Angeles Regional…

5 hours ago

Biden administration warns states of cyberattack threat to water, wastewater systems

(The Hill) — The Biden administration warned governors Tuesday that “disabling” cyberattacks are targeting drinking…

4 days ago

Cocopah Tribe: habitat restoration along the Colorado River to address climate change

Map: Tribe will restore areas along the Colorado River to address climate change. The Cocopah…

4 days ago

70 million Americans drink water from systems reporting PFAS to EPA. Is yours on our map?

At least 70 million Americans get their water from a system where toxic PFAS "forever…

5 days ago

Carbon Capture: Evaluating Underground CO2 Sequestration in California

Natural gas production. (Photo: ucr.edu) California’s natural gas power plants are being wasted While the…

6 days ago

Watershedding: taps run dry across Johannesburg — unprecedented water crisis

Residents of the township of Soweto, South Africa, queue for water Saturday, March 16, 2024.…

1 week ago