Old Bay Shore self-service laundry now on Superfund list

A former Bay Shore self-service laundry and dry cleaner has been added to the state’s Superfund list of inactive hazardous waste disposal sites.

The Americana Laundromat and Dry Cleaners site at 1572 North 5th Ave. in Bay Shore operated from 1950 to 2000, when it was converted to a drop-off dry cleaners, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

The dry-cleaning company moved in 2005 and the two-story building is now home to a hair salon, a taxi stand and unoccupied office space, the DEC said.

Testing of soil and groundwater at the site has revealed “significant” tetrachloroethene contamination “exceeding applicable standards,” and further testing is needed, the DEC said, adding “contamination on and off the site represents a significant threat to human health and the environment.”

The tetrachloroethene, a widely used dry cleaning and degreasing chemical, is known as PERC. The contaminant at the Bay Shore location may have come from the former “on-site sanitary leaching pools,” according to the DEC.

The contaminated groundwater does not affect the public water supply, the DEC said. The agency has enacted measures to improve air quality in the building as well.