Adams Cleaners Site

The Adams Cleaners site is a former dry-cleaning business that operated from the 1950s to 2015. The shop, located at 32 Independence Avenue in Quincy, MA, is closed and the building is unoccupied. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) requested assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) due to elevated contamination levels to assess the contaminant of concern, investigate potential vapor intrusion, and reduce contaminants at residential and commercial properties.

In the fall of 2021, EPA began an investigation of indoor air at 28 properties nearby the Adams Cleaners site located in Quincy, MA. Some of these properties contain multiple units, which could result in EPA sampling up to 50 different locations. Sampling will begin with first floor and basement locations as these areas are most likely to be impacted by vapor intrusion. Additional sampling in other locations and at additional properties may be necessary after sampling results have been analyzed.

Contamination at the Adams Cleaners site was first reported to the MassDEP in May 2016.

The contaminant of concern is  tetrachloroethylene  , also known as (PERC), which is used as the cleaning agent in the dry-cleaning process.  PERC  is used as the cleaning agent in the dry-cleaning process. PERC is one of a group of chemicals known as chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs).  When CVOCs are released into the environment , they can move in the soil gas and groundwater and enter buildings in a process known as vapor intrusion.  People can be exposed to CVOCs  by breathing the air where vapor intrusion is occurring.

The MassDEP worked with the property owner and dry cleaner to investigate the extent of contamination in homes and businesses in the area and installed venting systems to address potential exposures at levels exceeding the imminent hazard concentrations.

On August 18, 2021, the MassDEP referred the site to EPA for assistance to

• Assess and address CVOCs at the former dry cleaner property.
• Reduce the on-going vapor intrusion of PERC at an abutting residence by evaluating the performance of the venting system, called a Sub-Slab Depressurization System.
• Consider additional steps to further reduce the vapor intrusion pathway.
• Investigate potential vapor intrusion of contaminants at residential and commercial properties based on the direction that water flows from the site.

EPA will be conducting indoor air sampling at businesses and residential properties surrounding the site to determine if actions are required to protect human health. We are coordinating with the MassDEP and the City of Quincy and will work closely with the property owners to communicate sampling plans and results. Any plans for cleanup of the site will be based on our evaluation of the results of the sample collection and analysis.

EPA's Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation (PA/SI) will continue through the Winter of 2022. However, if actions are required to protect human health, EPA, in consultation with the MassDEP and the City of Quincy, may initiate a Removal Action to remove the threat at any time.

In November 2021, EPA and its contractors began sampling Adams Cleaners and the neighborhood surrounding the site. Personnel may be seen wearing protective equipment due to their direct contact with materials and potential contamination. Due to the ongoing COVID concerns, EPA will be following agency protocols including masking indoors, limiting the number of staff onsite, and keeping distance when possible.

EPA's Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation (PA/SI) consists of five basic steps:

1. Identify buildings at risk for vapor intrusion.
2. Request written access to each property.
3. Conduct vapor intrusion sampling and analyze the samples.
4. Work with health officials to evaluate the sampling results and conduct a risk assessment.
5. Determine if a threat exists to human health that requires mitigation.
6. If mitigation is required, EPA, MassDEP, and the City of Quincy will work with the property owner on options appropriate for their building.

Sub-slab sampling ports are installed in basements in order to sample the air underneath the building.

Next Steps - If a removal action to address existing contamination concerns is required, the following actions can be taken at buildings where vapor intrusion is occurring:

1. Seal the basement/floor to prevent vapors from entering the building.
2. Install a Sub-Slab Depressurization System to remove vapors from beneath the house.

Once the source of the contamination has been defined at the Adams Cleaners site, a cleanup can occur to prevent further migration of the contamination into the surrounding soil and groundwater. Various technologies can be used such as excavation and removal, in-situ chemical oxidation, or vapor extraction.

Track the progress of EPA's Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation (PA/SI) steps at businesses and residential properties below on the Adams Cleaners Parcel Status Public Map Viewer. Properties are updated and color coded to reflect each PA/SI step attained. Sampling results will be communicated directly with the property owners and tenants and will not be reflected on the map viewer. This page will be updated regularly as the sampling and site work progresses.

For more information, please contact:  

 Alex Sherrin , US EPA On-Scene Coordinator

617-918-1252

 Kelsey Dumville , US EPA Community Involvement Coordinator

617-918-1003

EPA Toll - Free Customer Service

1-888-EPA-7341

 Valerie Thompson , MassDEP (NERO), BWSC/Brownfields, Environmental Analyst IV

978-694-3348