Piney Branch Center soil/groundwater contaminated, MD Dept. of Environment says

Property entering 

Voluntary Cleanup Program

The Maryland Department of the Environment reports that soil and groundwater studies at the Piney Branch Center, located at 8501 Piney Branch Road in the Long Branch area of Silver Spring, have found a chemical contaminant in both. Tetrachloroethene was discovered in soil vapor and groundwater near the former dry cleaning tenant's space at the shopping center, MDE says.

Property owner JBG Smith is entering the Maryland Voluntary Cleanup Program to address the contamination. MDE says the landlord will install a soil vapor extraction system to "protect occupants of the building." A prohibition on use of groundwater from the property is being issued, and a restriction on future uses of the land will be placed on the property until the contamination is eliminated. Until then, the land can only continue to be used for "Tier 2B Restricted Commercial Purposes," according to MDE. For example, residential housing could not be built on the site as it is now.

A public meeting on the contamination and cleanup plan will be held September 26, 2019 at 6:15 PM at the Long Branch Community Recreation Center at 8700 Piney Branch Road.