EPA testing homes, school for perc vapors
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began testing indoor air at several
homes and at an elementary school last month after preliminary results from
soil vapor sampling found volatile organic compounds close to the surface near
a drycleaning facility in Santa Rosa, CA.
The EPA, on behalf of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and
the Regional Water Quality Control Board, is sampling the indoor air over a
24-hour period in homes and at the Steele Lane Elementary School to see if
contaminants in the soil and groundwater have migrated from the Peter Pan
Cleaners and are accumulating indoors.
The contaminants are the result of past practices at the facility and are no
longer used at the location, EPA said.
“As a precaution, the EPA wants to make sure VOCs are not building up in homes
and at the school,” said Donn Zuroski, the EPA’s on-scene coordinator. “The EPA is working with the regional board and DTSC to monitor the air, and if
needed, will take the necessary steps until the situation is remedied.”
EPA expected to have preliminary results by the end of October.
The agency said that contamination in the soil, soil vapor and groundwater in
areas near the cleaners consists of VOCs which can move from underground and
come up through the soil in certain conditions.
If VOCs move under a home or other building, it is possible for vapors to come
up through cracks in foundations and accumulate inside, EPA said.
The presence of perchloroethylene in groundwater was discovered in 2002 when a
private water supply well on Rowe Drive in Santa Rosa was tested for VOCs.
Subsequent historical and physical investigative work identified Peter Pan
Cleaners as the source of the perc contamination.
DTSC is the lead agency overseeing the groundwater investigation and cleanup
project and will assume the cleanup following the EPA’s investigation. The regional board directed the drycleaners to investigate the
subsurface contamination problem. Groundwater studies led to a recent soil
vapor study where near-surface soil vapor — chlorinated solvents, perc and related compounds — results indicate a potential for vapor intrusion into nearby homes and the
school.
Drinking water comes from municipal sources and is not affected by the
groundwater contamination from this area, EPA noted.
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CCA to plant profitable roots with route seminars
One key to growing a strong business is to plant profitable roots. Sometimes,
the best way to do that is through the use of pickup and delivery routes,
Such a strategy helps cleaners go out and find business instead of simply
waiting for it to walk through the front door.
This November, the California Cleaners Association will offer a pair of seminars
on the topic of routes, namely how they can help plant owners increase their
customer base and make more money in the process.
Small business consultant Harvey Gershenson will head both sessions.
In addition to being a National Clothesline columnist, Gershenson is a second
generation cleaner who first started working in the family drycleaning business
back during his high school days.
He has also served time on the Small Business Advisory Committee to the
California Employment Development Department and as a guest lecturer for the
California Department of Corrections.
Additionally, he is a past president of the Cleaners and Dyers Guild of Los
Angeles and has worked on the board of directors for CCA and the Drycleaning
and Laundry Institute.
During the programs, he will help attendees learn all of the ins and outs of
building and operating a successful drycleaning route service.
For his part, Gershenson has developed a total of five routes in five years in
order to achieve routes sales figures that surpass a million dollars annually
for his company Sterling Cleaners in Los Angeles, CA.
The first seminar will be scheduled from 10 a.m. until noon on Sunday, Nov. 2.
It will take place at Kona Cleaners, located at 333 E. 17th St. in Costa Mesa,
CA.
A second session will be held from 10 a.m. until noon less than a week later on
Saturday, Nov. 15, at Marin Cleaners.
The drycleaning plant is located at 700 “A” Street in San Rafael, CA.
The cost to attend is $75 for CCA members. Non-members must pay $125 each. Lunch
will not be provided.
Those who register three or more employees from the same cleaners are eligible
for a $20 discount on those registrations.
To sign up or inquire about information, contact the CCA office at (916)
239-4070.
Registering early is recommended since classes that do not meet minimum student
numbers are subject to cancellation.
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RIA selects location and date for ’09 convention
The Restoration Industry Association has already made plans for its 2009
convention, which will be held at the Wyndham Palm Springs Hotel and Convention
Center from March 10-14.
The exhibit hall will be open to attendees from 3 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 10
a.m. to 2 p.m .on Thursday, and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
Thursday will feature the association’s annual golf tournament starting at 11:30 a.m. and keynote speaker Dr. Ned
Hallowell will discuss ideas in his current book “CrazyBusy: Overworked, Overstretched, Overbooked and About to SNAP!”
