Soil sampling (Photo – dtsc.ca.gov)
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is investigating site contamination near Courtesy Cleaners, 1705 E. Compton Blvd, Compton.
By News Desk
DTSC is the lead regulatory agency and is performing indoor air and subsurface sampling at the site. If necessary, there will be cleanup and/or mitigation measures to support the continued operation of Courtesy Cleaners and the other businesses located in the plaza. Courtesy Cleaners has operated as a dry cleaner within Courtesy Plaza since the 1950s.
This dry cleaner had used tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in their dry-cleaning operations, which may have contaminated the soil and groundwater nearby. PCE in soil vapor can enter buildings through foundation cracks, potentially affecting indoor air quality in a process called vapor intrusion. In the environment, PCE naturally degrades into trichloroethylene (TCE).
Courtesy Cleaners and other dry cleaners used PCE in their operations for many decades until PCE was banned in 2023. PCE and TCE exposure in indoor air poses risks to pregnant women and potential for heart defects in the fetus. Prolonged exposure may also increase cancer risk.
You can visit the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) website for detailed fact sheets on the health effects of PCE and TCE.
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