Market Creek Plaza LLC (MCP), with its environmental consultant, is investigating and cleaning up contamination at the shopping center. All work is reviewed and approved by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).

Environmental Work

Food 4 Less - Indoor Air

  • June 2024: Testing showed levels of TCE in the grocery store that required immediate action.

  • Response: MCP installed air treatment units, sealed cracks in the floor, and upgraded the HVAC system to improve airflow.

  • Results: Follow-up testing shows a 40-80% reduction in TCE levels, but some areas still have elevated readings.

  • Ongoing work: MCP is designing a system that will prevent TCE vapors from entering indoor air. We anticipate the system will be running at full capacity by mid-2026. In the meantime, we perform monthly maintenance of air treatment units, regularly replace HVAC filters, and continue to seal cracks in the floor.

Picture of an indoor air sampling canister.

Soil Vapor and Indoor Air - Shopping Center

  • December 2024 & June 2025: Soil and soil vapor tests showed a source of TCE near the Food 4 Less building, and elevated vapor levels on the north, south, and east sides of the property.

  • TCE vapors can sometimes move from the soil into buildings through cracks in the foundation - a process called vapor intrusion.

  • March 2025: Indoor air in all other occupied suites was tested and showed no air quality issues. These suites will be retested in fall 2025 to confirm results.

  • September 2025: Indoor air in the occupied suites - except Food 4 Less - was tested and all showed no air quality issues caused by TCE impacts from below ground.

Workers collecting soil vapor samples for analysis.

Permanent Cleanup of TCE

  • Summer 2025: Field tests confirmed that two technologies can remove TCE from soil beneath Food 4 Less.

  • MCP is now designing a system to prevent vapors from entering indoor air and anticipates it will be fully operational by mid-2026.

A view of equipment used during field tests to determine if two technologies can remove TCE from soil.

This summer’s field work identified two effective methods to permanently remove TCE from soil.

Off-site Investigations

  • DTSC has requested testing in areas southeast of the shopping center to see if TCE has moved beyond the property. This work will include soil vapor sampling and is expected to occur in 2026.