OSWER/OSRTI 

Washington, DC 20460 

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL)

***Proposed Site*** March 2010 

SANFORD DRY CLEANERS Sanford, Florida 

Seminole County 

 Site Location: 

The site is located at 121 South Palmetto Avenue, and possibly 113 South Palmetto Avenue, in Sanford, Seminole 

County, Florida. These are two contiguous properties totaling approximately one acre in the historic section of 

downtown Sanford. Buildings occupy the majority of both of these properties. Lake Monroe is a half mile to the 

north. 

 Site History: 

Downtown Dry Cleaners and Laundry was established on the 121 South Palmetto Avenue property in the 1940’s. In 

1964, the business expanded onto 113 South Palmetto Avenue and in the 1970s the properties and dry cleaning 

equipment were sold and the business operations continued under the name of Sanford Dry Cleaners. Dry cleaning 

operations continued until 2001. 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants: 

Tetrachloroethene (PCE) and its biodegradation products, such as trichloroethene (TCE), were found in the soil and 

ground water at the site. PCE, TCE and cis-1,2 dichloroethene (DCE) were found in shallow and deep ground water 

samples from the surficial aquifer at concentrations above the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Act maximum contaminant 

levels (MCLs). The highest levels of total volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were found in the shallow and deep 

ground water wells near the back door of the building on 121 South Palmetto Avenue. Up-gradient ground water 

sample results confirm that the VOC-contaminated plume originates at the site. Ground water samples from a well 

150 feet to the northeast of the site contained PCE breakdown products, some at concentrations above their MCLs. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment: 

Ground water is contaminated with volatile organic compounds at concentrations above drinking water standards. 

Contamination was found in the surficial aquifer at 15 feet and 35 to 45 feet below land surface (bls). The Floridan 

aquifer, which contains the potable drinking water, is about 80 to 90 feet below land surface. There are nearly 50,000 

people served by the 15 municipal supply wells within four miles of the site. There is a risk to human health from the 

ground water migration pathway and contamination of public drinking water. 

 Response Activities (to date): 

There have been no cleanup activities done at the site to date. 

 Need for NPL Listing: 

The State of Florida referred the site to EPA. Other federal and state cleanup programs were evaluated, but are not 

viable at this time. EPA received a letter of support for placing this site on the NPL from the state. 

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change 

as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination.] 

For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these 

substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet 

at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.