Sanford Dry Cleaners

Overview

Sanford Dry Cleaners is a one-acre property in Sanford, Florida that ran as a laundry and dry-cleaning facility from the 1940s until 2001. EPA added it to the National Priorities List in September 2010 after a February 2009 assessment found contamination serious enough to warrant federal cleanup action.

The main contaminant is tetrachloroethylene, also called PCE or PERC, a solvent widely used in dry cleaning. It and related breakdown chemicals, including trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, and two forms of dichloroethylene, spread into the soil and groundwater. Tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene also turned up in indoor air. EPA identified nine contaminants of concern in total, all grouped under Operable Unit 1.

Active cleanup ran from 2014 to early 2015. Workers dug up contaminated soil outside the buildings and sent it to an approved disposal facility. Soil inside the buildings was treated with soil vapor extraction, a process that pulls vapors out of the ground without digging. Contaminated groundwater is being addressed through in-situ enhanced bioremediation, which uses injected microbes to break down the chemicals in place. Nearby residents and businesses use public water, and sampling of a nearby irrigation well has shown no signs of contamination. EPA determined in its 2020 Five-Year Review that human exposure is under control and that no unacceptable exposure pathways currently exist. Groundwater migration is also under control, with contamination stabilized in its original area.

Long-term monitoring of groundwater continues. The site has not been deleted from the National Priorities List, and not all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been met. A five-year review was performed in July 2025. Two businesses currently operate at the site, employing 26 people and generating roughly $207,500 in annual sales, consistent with its potential future use as downtown commercial property.

Community members can stay involved through EPA's public participation process, which includes notices, public meetings, and interviews about cleanup progress. Site records are available at the Seminole County Public Library North Branch at 150 North Palmetto Avenue in Sanford, Florida.