DTSC secures more than $100,000 settlement with former Bay Area dry cleaner for cleanup violations

SACRAMENTO - The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) announces a settlement with responsible parties of the now-closed Omo's Fabricare Dry Cleaners to resolve violations stemming from non-compliance with a 2023 DTSC cleanup order.

The cleanup order relates to the site at 12210 San Pablo Avenue, Richmond, where there has been a release of tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a widely used chemical in historical dry-cleaning operations. PCE is known to the State of California to cause cancer. Although many dry cleaners used this chemical for decades, this use was phased out by 2023.

DTSC investigations confirmed that PCE had been released at the site and migrated to neighboring properties to the north, south, east and west. Left unaddressed, PCE vapors from polluted soil and groundwater can move into buildings, contaminate the indoor air and cause health concerns.