Photo by Michele Newbanks Guard Cleaning owner Leslie Goudy secures the sign on the front of their new location at the former Vogue Swift, 120 Third St., Marietta.

The former Vogue Swift dry cleaners will soon have a new tenant.

Leslie and Terry Goudy will open the front offices as a pick up and drop off for their Guard Cleaning chain.

“We’re hoping to open soon,” Leslie said Wednesday. “We’re looking for help.”

She said they were renting out the front and freshened it up, but were “pretty much leaving it the way it was.”

She said by renting the offices, it gave them a perfect opportunity to expand and serve the needs of Washington County residents.

Their website notes Leslie’s parents, Les and Dottie Rothwell, started Rothwell Cleaners in 1953. The original Guard Cleaners opened in 1867, but was merged with Rothwell in 1962 under the name Guard Cleaning Company.

The Goudys took over in 1992, and in 2014, their daughter, Lindsay and husband, John Downs, joined the management team. With the opening of the Marietta shop, there will be three facilities — 1015 Market St., Parkersburg, 3015 Grand Central Ave., Vienna, and now at 120 Third St., Marietta.

The Marietta location will be the same as the one in Vienna, she said. Clothes will be picked up every day for transport to the dry cleaning facility on Market Street in Parkersburg.

“There will be no cleaning or laundry on the premises,” she said, noting they have next day service. There is also free pickup and delivery. The route runs Tuesdays and Fridays.

They offer several services, not just dry cleaning. They have a wash, dry and fold service; carpet and rug cleaning; and wedding dress preservation.

“We’re looking for an alteration person,” Leslie said.

In past years, Vogue Swift had Ohio EPA compliance issues.

A Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Hazardous Waste Closure Plan was required by the Ohio EPA as there were compliance issues dating back to 2013.

In the 317-page closure plan, it detailed the compliance concerns, including:

¯ April 24, 2013 — The Ohio EPA received a complaint alleging disposal of waste liquids containing tetrachloroethylene, a dry cleaning solvent, within a well and onto the ground surface at the rear of the facility.

¯ May 9, 2013 — Ohio EPA started investigation into complaints.

¯ Dec. 4, 2014 — After a physical inspection in November by the Ohio EPA, Vogue Swift was found not in compliance.

¯ Dec. 9, 2014 — Vogue Swift submitted a copy of a hazardous waste manifest for waste disposal, stating they were enacting immediate compliance with rules.

¯ Jan. 14, 2015 — Ohio EPA concerns were lessened regarding handling waste material, but still had some ongoing concerns.

¯ Jan. 29, 2016 — Ohio EPA conducted compliance evaluation and collected samples of separator water, finding tetrachloroethylene of 13.8 to 16.2 mg/l, exceeding regulatory levels for disposal of 0.7 mg./l

¯ March 3, 2016 — Ohio EPA issued notice of violation letter, outlining concerns.

¯ March 25 and 26, 2016 — KEMRON Environmental Services was retained by the cleaners to perform sampling assessment at the facility.

¯ April 14, 2016 — Results indicated limited detections of low concentrations of chemicals.

Vogue Swift attorney Greg DeGulis said he would need to speak with his client before he commented on the violations.

¯ April 2017 — A letter from the Ohio EPA stated the cleaners was in violation of Ohio Revised Code for establishing a hazardous waste disposal facility without a permit. The violation was a result of disposal of hazardous waste separator water on the ground at the Third Street facility and neighboring property owned by Marietta College.

In order to resolve the violation, they would have to submit a closure plan for units 1-3. Unit 1 is an unused water supply well within the building. Unit 2 is site soil and groundwater as impacted by hazardous chemicals in the parking lot behind the facility. Unit 3 is an area behind 117 Fourth St., where off-site shallow soil was identified by the Ohio EPA as impacted.

Attorney Greg DeGulis for Vogue Swift said he would speak with his owner Andy Fenton before he could comment.

Leslie said “we had nothing to do with what (Vogue Swift was) doing or what they did” as she and her husband were just opening the facility for drop off and pick up of dry cleaning.

Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.