SITE DESCRIPTION
The .17-acre Roger’s Fabricare Site, located at 7 Maple Street,
Windsor, VT, is situated within a densely populated residential neighborhood
and contains a 5,361-square-foot,
two-story building of wooden construction that formerly operated as a
dry-cleaning facility. In the early 1900s, the Site housed the South Windsor
Primary School before transitioning to a steam laundry facility in the early
1920s. Dry-cleaning operations began in the 1940s and operated as such by
various owners and operators until 2018, when the Roger’s Fabricare dry-cleaner
closed. The Site has since remained vacant and has fallen into disrepair.
WORK COMPLETED TO DATE:
On May 1, 2020, the Vermont Department of Environmental
Conservation (VTDEC) requested the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to
assist in addressing a suspected release of chlorinated solvents to soil and
soil gas originating from the former Roger’s Fabricare facility.
September 2020 - March 2021
EPA conducted a
preliminary assessment and site investigation (PA/SI) and found containers of tetrachloroethylene
(a.k.a. perchloroethylene or PCE) product inside the building, elevated levels
of PCE in the soil gas under the building, elevated levels of PCE in indoor air
in adjacent residences, and asbestos in the building materials. Based on the
PA/SI results, it was determined that an EPA removal action was warranted.
In consultation with the state and town, it was agreed upon that EPA
would address the containers of PCE; the town would demolish the building and
remove the debris from the property so that a subsequent EPA action may happen
to mitigate vapor intrusion issues stemming from the PCE in the soil.
May and June 2021
EPA removed two drums containing PCE product
and an additional 975 pounds of PCE product from a dry-cleaning machine. VTDEC
contributed to the action by sampling the indoor air of nearby residences and
addressing their potential vapor intrusion issues.
In 2021, the town commissioned a hazardous materials survey of the
building as part of an EPA Brownfields grant. This pre-demolition survey was
conducted in August of 2021 and revealed the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in paint on the walls and chrysotile asbestos in 10,200 square
feet of the building structural materials. The estimated costs to demolish and
remove the building exceeded the towns budget. VTDEC requested that EPA add
demolition and removal of the building debris to the May 2020 request. EPA
agreed to accept the request.
April 2022
The town ordered its contractor to complete the Hazardous
Materials Survey in portions of the building still safe to enter. However, the
Fire Marshall condemned the building, and the survey was not conducted.
June 2022
EPA signed a revised Action Memo to conduct a
removal action to demolish and remove the building and investigate and remove
the PCE impacted soil on the Roger’s Fabricare property.
July 2022
VTDEC installed a sub-slab depressurization and vapor
barrier system for one of the abutting residences.
A potentially responsible party (PRP) came forth in July of 2022
expressing interest in conducting the remainder of the cleanup work.
October 2022 to current
EPA and the PRP have been negotiating an
Administrative Order on Consent. The PRP
is expected to begin work in late spring / early summer 2023.
