A cancer-causing chemical used in the dry cleaning industry was found in Chadds Ford Township groundwater along Route 202.
According to Chadds Ford Township engineer Joe Mastronardo, tetracloroethylene was found in the soil, ground and surface water behind the dry cleaners on Route 202 across from Hillman Drive. While the chemical is a known carcinogen, Mastronardo said there is no danger.
“Nobody drinks groundwater,” he said.
Businesses in that area used public water.
The property was purchased as part of the Chadds Ford side of the Wegmans’ development. The southeast leg of the loop road will be in that area, not the supermarket.
Carlino Construction, the developer, and a former property owner have already submitted a remediation plan to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Mastronardo said.
The site will be cleaned with the soil removed and DEP will continue to monitor the site to assure levels of the chemicals continue to decline. No occupancy certificates can be issued — and the township will not take dedication of the road — unless and until DEP says the site is clean.
Township supervisors are planning an informational meeting on the matter to keep residents informed, but no date has yet been set.
Supervisors’ Chairman Keith Klaver said the contaminant is contained and there’s been no migration. He also said representatives from Carlino will keep supervisors updated by providing them with DEP reports and updates.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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