Dry cleaners were fined $ 200,000 for toxic waste that has lasted for decades

A closed cleaning company in Trenton has been fined more than $ 200,000 for failing to clear up a decades-long toxic mess.

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office announced on Thursday that it had won a lawsuit against Schofield Cleaners for failing to comply after the company failed to respond to the original complaint.

The now closed dry cleaner, located near the Delaware River at 1474 West State Street in Trenton, was fined $ 105,240 by Judge Douglas Hurd of the Mercer County Supreme Court ,

"Every time we file a new environmental lawsuit, we show polluters in New Jersey that they won't harm and get away from our most vulnerable communities," said New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir. Grewal "Today another company heard this message clearly, and now it has to pay more than $ 200,000 for the damage it does. That's what environmental justice looks like."

The number given for Schofield cleaners is no longer in use.

Schofield Cleaners is also mandated to restore property contaminated with perchlorethylene (PCE). According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the chemical that is commonly used for dry cleaning is associated with a variety of health problems, including kidney dysfunction and reproductive problems.

The contamination was first discovered by DEP inspectors in 1997, and Schofield Cleaners has long refused to remove the pollution, according to government complaints .

The order was a default decision issued by Hurd after Schofield Cleaners failed to file a lawsuit against the state.

The lawsuit was one of six that the GA office filed in October for contaminated locations across the state. The other five cases are still pending.

Sol Michael Warren can be contacted at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com . Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub . Find NJ.com on Facebook .

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