Three former dry cleaning operations in Souderton, Pennsylvania left soil and groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents. Gentle Cleaners operated from 1953 to 1983, Granite Knitting Mills ran a dry cleaning machine from 1967 to 1979, and Parkside Apartments formerly housed a dry cleaning establishment. A documented spill in the early 1970s added to the contamination. EPA added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in March 1989.
EPA has identified 13 contaminants of concern, found in both groundwater and soil. They include tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, dichloroethene, benzene, chloroform, chloromethane, ethylbenzene, toluene, bromodichloromethane, and carbon disulfide. Testing has found contamination at levels up to 8,300 parts per billion in multiple groundwater wells.
Cleanup was organized into two operable units (OUs). The source control unit (OU 01) involved excavating and disposing of contaminated soil and extracting and treating groundwater. Remedial construction was completed in July 1998. The groundwater unit (OU 02) ran a long-term response action from July 1998 through December 2008, after which the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) took over operation and maintenance. DEP samples extraction and monitoring wells twice per year and collects surface water samples twice yearly.
The local population has access to public water supply, removing the main drinking water exposure pathway. No active human exposures to site contamination are occurring, and EPA has determined that human exposure is under control. However, EPA cannot yet confirm whether contaminated groundwater migration is fully stabilized, so monitoring continues. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use and prohibit residential development. Three businesses currently operate at the site, employing six people and generating roughly $370,000 in annual sales. EPA's most recent five-year review, completed in July 2023, found the remedy protective of public health in the short term but identified the need for additional monitoring wells and analysis to confirm long-term protection. The next five-year review is scheduled for 2028.
Community members can review site records online or in person at the Indian Valley Public Library in Telford, Pennsylvania, or at the EPA Region 3 office in Philadelphia. Appointments are required before visiting either location. Direct questions can go to EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
