Two dry-cleaning businesses operated at the Carlisle Village Cleaners site in Albuquerque, New Mexico from 1953 to 2017. They used tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), both linked to dry-cleaning operations. Improper storage or disposal released these chemicals into the environment. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL), which tracks the country's most serious hazardous waste sites, on July 3, 2025.
The main concern is vapor intrusion, a process where chemical vapors rise from contaminated shallow soil and enter nearby buildings. Roughly 257 people are affected, including residents in 21 single-family homes and 80 multifamily ground-floor units, as well as 16 commercial structures and two religious institutions. Both PCE and TCE are the primary contaminants at the site.
The EPA's Removal Program installed air purifying units in November 2022 at properties where PCE levels posed immediate health risks. Starting in fall 2025, the EPA began installing vapor intrusion mitigation systems throughout the community to stop harmful vapors from entering homes and businesses. Separately, the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), with EPA oversight, launched a combined Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) in fall 2025. This study covers the groundwater plume and vapor intrusion and is expected to wrap up between September and November 2028. Current field work includes installing and sampling soil vapor and groundwater monitoring wells, along with a soil vapor extraction pilot study.
Human exposure control status is currently listed as insufficient data, meaning cleanup has begun but there is not yet enough information to confirm whether unacceptable exposure pathways exist. Groundwater migration status carries the same designation. Physical construction of the full cleanup remedy has not yet started, and the site is not ready for anticipated reuse.
Community members can stay informed through a public meeting planned for summer 2026, where investigation results and upcoming site activities will be shared. The exact date will be announced. Residents with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. For state-related questions, contact NMED.
