NORTH ANDOVER — Work is underway to remove chemicals in the soil below North Andover Plaza that leaked from a dry cleaning business there.
A patch of ground below Ace Cleaners, 66 Peters St., is believed to be the origin of contamination, according to a cleanup plan on file with the North Andover Health Department.
Located at the intersection of Route 114 and Peters Street, the plaza is also home to five other businesses — Rocky's Ace Hardware, Panera Bread, Burger King, Den Rock Wine & Spirits and Supercuts. There is also a Bank of America ATM adjacent to the dry cleaner.
Soil tests below the businesses and plaza parking lot have detected the solvents tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene, according to the cleanup plan.
Both chemicals are volatile organic compounds and suspected carcinogens, according to the website of the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Tetrachloroethene, also known as tetrachloroethylene or PERC, is a synthetic compound widely used for dry cleaning fabrics and metal-degreasing operations.
Trichloroethene, also known as trichloroethylene or TCE, is an industrial solvent.
PERC is a frequent soil and groundwater contaminant, according to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Cleanup began in late July and is expected to conclude by the end of the month. The goal of the work is to "reduce potential risks at the site relating to air and groundwater quality," according to the cleanup plan, which was written by Morgan Environmental LLC of Manchester, Mass.
The plan states that the Ace Cleaners site has been home to a dry cleaning business for the last 40 years. There have been four owners in that time, including current owner Angela Kim.
All four owners have used PERC as a cleaning solvent.
"At this time it is unclear if the release was a sudden spill that perhaps occurred during the upgrade of equipment over the years, or might be the result of a slow drip from a leaking machine that did not have a secondary containment tray beneath it," reads the cleanup plan.
The cleanup includes the removal of approximately 35 cubic yards of soil beneath Ace Cleaners using a vacuum truck. Additional contaminated soil and groundwater downgradient from the source of contamination will be treated by drilling injection wells inside the business and in the parking lot and applying a chemical oxidation reagent.
PERC will be drained from an old dry cleaning machine and stored in 55-gallon drums.
"Following the removal of the old dry cleaning machine, four catch basins located downgradient from the dry cleaner will be covered with fabric filter to protect against any possible contamination entering the surface water drainage system that ultimately discharges to a small stream located on the southwest side of Route 114," according to the cleanup plan.
Groundwater tests are scheduled for late September, after the cleanup work is complete.
PERC and TCE have not been proven to cause cancer in humans, though both are suspected carcinogens, according to the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry website.
Both chemicals are also among 20 suspected carcinogens targeted for further research in a recent report sponsored by the American Cancer Society.
Initial soil and groundwater tests were collected in North Andover Plaza "as part of a due diligence effort" related to the sale of the plaza, according to the cleanup plan.
The plaza is owned by North Andover Ventures Limited Partnership.
Ann Moreno, director of real estate for the Dedham-based partnership, said the plaza was put on the market over a year ago. It may go up for sale again once the cleanup is complete, she said.
Moreno said the soil has already been removed from under Ace Cleaners. She said the owner has agreed to install new chemical-free dry cleaning equipment.
"We chose to be proactive and remove the problem," said Moreno. "They're going to continue as our client there."
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