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California Will Phase Out Toxic Dry Cleaning Chemical in 15 Years
Jan 25, 2007
SACRAMENTO – The state decided today to phase out a dangerous carcinogen in the dry cleaning industry in 15 years – a decision that will help protect all Californians.
The California Air Resources Board approved its staff plan to phase out the toxic dry cleaning chemical, perchloroethylene, also known as perc, by 2023.
“For too long, dry cleaners have been hung out to dry by the chemical companies,” said Martin Schlageter, Campaign and Advocacy Director for the Coalition for Clean Air. “Today, the state charted a course for a greener and cleaner future for the garment care industry that will protect cleaners, their workers, customers and neighborhoods from this cancer-causing chemical.”
California Proposition 65 has classified perc as a chemical known to cause cancer. It is estimated to have contaminated 1 in 10 public drinking wells in California. And, according to federal EPA data, it is one of the top 10 most toxic air contaminants in the state. (See fact sheet.)
Today’s vote follows the Air Board’s decision last May to phase out perc, an action that will shape the future of the dry cleaning industry beyond California.
The Coalition for Clean Air was joined by more than 35 groups which lobbied for a stronger perc phaseout plan, including a faster phaseout of 10 years and a phaseout of hydrocarbon cleaners which cause smog. The groups include: Natural Resources Defense Council, California Communities Against Toxics, American Lung Association of California, Southern California Watershed Alliance, Worksafe and Physicians for Social Responsibility.
At Thursday’s Air Board hearing dozens of cleaners explained why they stopped using perc and have switched to nontoxic and non-polluting options like wet cleaning.
Thomas De Pippo of Garden Grove, Calif. said he had been a perc cleaner for 12 years. But in October 2005 one soil test changed his life. With the discovery of perc four feet under his store, he was stuck with a $200,000 cleanup. He had to dig into his life savings, emptying out his bank accounts and stocks to pay for it. His marriage dissolved.
Facing a bleak future, De Pippo decided to try wet cleaning. He was skeptical at first, but later he was pleased with the results. “I found it very rewarding,” De Pippo said. “There’s absolutely no odor to the clothes.” Sales are now up at his Julie’s Cleaners, a good sign, he said, of a bright future for his 14-year-old cleaning business.
Another cleaner, Peter Jung, of Plaza Cleaners in Thousand Oaks, Calif., said he had to switch to wet cleaning because his landlord wouldn’t rent to a perc cleaner. After using wet cleaning for nearly a year, Jung said he is saving 50% on electricity and 30% on gas bills.
Even more important, Jung said, is the future. “I am just one cleaner,” Jung said, “But think of the thousands of dry cleaners in the state of California and how much impact we all make. We all have the responsibility to do something. Our generation will survive with this pollution, but what about our children and our grandchildren?”
State Air Board on Thursday Can Strengthen Its Proposal to Protect Californians Sooner From Toxic Dry Cleaning Chemical
SACRAMENTO – On Jan. 25, the California Air Resources Board has an opportunity to truly protect all Californians from a toxic dry cleaning chemical, perchloroethylene, also known as perc.
California Proposition 65 has classified perc as a chemical known to cause cancer. It is estimated to have contaminated 1 in 10 public drinking wells in California. And, according to federal EPA data, it is one of the top 10 most toxic air contaminants in the state.
Last May, the Air Board took the important first step in deciding to phase out perc, an action that will shape the future of the dry cleaning industry beyond California. But their current 15-year phaseout proposal, which will be voted on at their Jan. 25 meeting can be strengthened to protect Californians sooner. (See fact sheet: http://www.coalitionforcleanair.org/pdf/factsheets/CCA-factsheet-PERC-hung-out-to-dry-new.pdf)
The Coalition for Clean Air – and more than 35 statewide health, air and community groups – are asking the Air Board to strengthen their proposal and:
- Approve a 10-year phaseout of perc, instead of its 15-year phaseout in the current proposal.
- Phase out new systems that use hydrocarbon solvents, because they cause smog.
- Require all perc dry cleaners within 300 feet of residential buildings, schools, medical facilities and other sensitive areas to be phased out by 2010.
“The Air Board can ensure the future success of clothes cleaners and protect the health of all Californians by making these changes to their perc phaseout proposal,” said Luis Cabrales, campaign and outreach associate for the Coalition for Clean Air.
Many statewide health, community and environmental groups have joined the Coalition for Clean Air to ask for a stronger perc phaseout proposal including: Natural Resources Defense Council, California Communities Against Toxics, American Lung Association of California, Southern California Watershed Alliance, Worksafe and Physicians for Social Responsibility.
Tell the Air Board to Quickly Phase Out
A Toxic Dry Cleaning Chemical
SACRAMENTO - Send an action alert today to the California Air Resources Board asking them to quickly phase out a toxic chemical often used in dry cleaning: perchloroethylene. The Board's current proposal calls for a 15-year phaseout of this hazardous chemical, but CCA wants the state to start protecting residents sooner and is calling for a 10-year phaseout.
In May 2006, the California Air Resources Board took the important first step of voting to phase out perchloroethylene, also known as perc. Now, at its Jan. 25, 2007 meeting, the Air Board will be voting on its perc 15-year phase-out proposal.
California has classified perc as a chemical known to cause cancer. It is estimated to have contaminated 1 in 10 public drinking wells in California. And, according to federal EPA data, it is one of the top 10 most toxic air contaminants in the state.
This chemical poses an unacceptable risk to dry cleaners, their workers, their customers and our neighborhoods.
 
>> English Fact Sheet
>> Spanish Fact Sheet
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Victory! State Air Board Convinced to Phase Out
Toxic Chemical from Dry Cleaning
May 25, 2006
CCA coordinates a united plea from diverse interests - including small business owners and worker safety organizations - to demand phase-out
California is on its way to becoming the first state in the nation to eliminate the toxic chemical perchloroethylene, also known as "perc," from dry cleaning. This after the California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously decided to go against the recommendations of its own staff and phase out the use of perc in dry cleaning. The state air board's decision on May 25th came after CCA coordinated substantial pressure from dozens of organizations representing environmental, health, worker safety and small business interests to demand a statewide policy to remove the toxic chemical from dry cleaning operations.
CCA President and CEO Tim Carmichael testified at the hearing in Sacramento and said the Air Board's decision puts California at the forefront of the nation in eliminating a carcinogen that has tainted air, soil and water wells across the country. "As with many environmental issues in the past, California is a leader, and our hope is that other states, and the country as a whole, will follow California's lead," Carmichael said.
In addition to CCA, dozens of professional cleaners and speakers from environmental, health, community and governmental organizations testified at the hearing echoing support for a phase out. These voices included Sung Park from Natures Best Cleaners in Rancho Cucamonga.
"I worked with perc I think for over 12 years," Park said. "But I changed to wet cleaning five years ago because I didn't like perc for my health and air."
Find out why perc is such a dangerous chemical by reading our fact sheet.
Park told the Air Board about the time she had an accident with perc, when the solvent leaked in her store. "I almost fainted" Park said, describing the overwhelming effect of the toxic chemical. She showed CARB a slide show of her wet cleaning system and how it effectively cleaned an expensive Hugo Boss men's jacket.
CARB board member Doreen D'Adamo led the calls from the dais for a phase-out because of concern for dry cleaning workers, customers and nearby communities, saying that perc "really and truly is a poison."
The remaining present board members expressed unanimous support and gave clear direction to their staff that they want a new proposal to ban this toxic chemical. The CARB staff indicated it would take six months to develop the plan.
CCA and its partners intend to continue to monitor the development of the proposal to ensure that chemical industry lobbying doesn't undermine this landmark action. CCA will press for a phase-out that is swift while sensitive to the needs of these small businesses.
In the months leading up to the state air board's hearing, CCA expanded the circle of collaborating organizations, beginning with soliciting sign-ons to a letter addressed to the state Air Board demanding a phase-out of perc. Luis Cabrales, CCA campaign associate, led the coordination of the campaign and engaged new allies including some from unlikely quarters, including worker safety organizations, small business owners and consumer rights' organizations. The sign-ons to the letter also led to coordinated participation in meetings with individual members of the state Air Board, a press conference at a toxic-free professional clothes cleaning shop, and the co-authoring of op-eds in key newspaper outlets. In addition, CCA facilitated the testimony of key speakers at the hearing by helping with travel expenses to Sacramento.
Organizations that signed on to the letter calling for a phase out of perc:
California Communities Against Toxics
Steven and Michele Kirsch Foundation
WorkSafe_COSH
Southern California Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (SoCalCOSH)
Healthy Children Organizing Project Consumer
Breast Cancer Fund
Concerned Residents Initiative
El Comite Para el Bienestar de Earlimart
Relational Culture Institute
Global Green USA
Sierra Club
Earth Day Los Angeles
Natural Resources Defense Council
Del Amo Action Committee
California League of Conservation Voters
Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies
Association of Irritated Residents
Sweatshop Watch
AFSCME Local 3090
Anahuak Youth Sport Association
Planning and Conservation League
American Lung Association of California
California Safe Schools
Padres Unidos de Maywood (PUMA)
Inquilinos Unidos Pro-Justicia Ambiental
Southern California Watershed Alliance
Instituto De Educación Popular Del Sur De California ( IDEPSCA)
Lideres Campesinas
Literacy for Environmental Justice
Environmental Working Group & EWG Action Fund
California Environmental Rights Alliance
Citizens Against the Dump Expansion
West County Toxic's Coalition
Garment Worker Center
Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles
Environment California
Professional Cleaners who testified in support of a phase out of perc:
Rudie Smit
Business Manager
Wet Cleaning/Commercial Laundry
Yasuji Hiroi
Natures Best Cleaners.
Fountain Valley, CA
Lisa Tsan
Fay Cleaners
Long Beach, CA
Daiel Jussicha
Ontario Cleaners
Ontario, CA
Sung Park
Natures Best Cleaners
Rancho Cucamonga
Hans Kim
Natures Best Cleaners
Palm Desert, CA
Air Board Votes For Statewide Phase-Out of Cancer-Causing Chemical From Dry Cleaning; California Will Be First State in Nation to Take This Action
On May 25, after impassioned testimony from the Coalition for Clean Air, wet cleaners and dozens of speakers from health, community and governmental organizations, the California Air Resources Board made protection of public health the priority and requested a new plan to completely phase out a cancer-causing chemical in dry cleaning.
This decision puts California on the road to becoming the first state in the nation to eliminate the toxic chemical perchloroethylene from dry cleaning.
The toxic solvent, also known as "perc," is one of the top 10 most toxic air contaminants in California. Statewide, the dry cleaning industry emits about 3 million pounds of perc per year into the air. It is also estimated that perc has contaminated one in 10 public drinking wells in the state.
The Coalition for Clean Air (CCA) was instrumental in convincing the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to unanimously approve a phase-out of perc. CCA staff lobbied individual board members to explain the chemical's hazards and to describe non-toxic and non-smog forming alternatives of wet cleaning and CO2 methods that are already successful in the marketplace. CCA also partnered with 40 health, labor, environmental justice, and environmental groups on a letter to the Board urging a perc phase-out strategy. And, with the encouragement of CCA and other advocates, 10 leaders in the California Legislature sent a letter to CARB calling for a perc phase-out.
CCA President and CEO Tim Carmichael and Campaign and Outreach Associate Luis Cabrales testified at the CARB hearing in Sacramento.
Before the Air Board took its vote, Carmichael told CARB that he considered the staff proposal, which would have continued perc use indefinitely in the state, "the most amazing position" he had seen during his 11 years working on California air pollution issues. "Your staff is defending the continued use of a toxic chemical, that they acknowledge causes cancer, is a reproductive toxin, and a neurotoxin," Carmichael testified. "It's mind boggling. I don't even know where to begin with how that could be ok when you have viable alternatives shown in the staff report to be cost-effective in the marketplace."
Carmichael's plea - along with dozens of others - were heard by the Air Board when it unanimously asked staff to develop a new proposal to eliminate perc. CARB staff said it would take six months to develop the plan and Carmichael said CCA and its allies will be monitoring the proposal's development to ensure emission reduction is achieved in the near term, and the phase-out takes no longer than 15 years.
"As with many environmental issues in the past, California is a leader, and our hope is that other states, and the country as a whole, will follow California's lead," Carmichael said.
Perchloroethylene (Perc) Use in Dry Cleaning Operations:
When customers pick up their garments at the local dry cleaner they expect their clothes to be free of stains. What consumers don’t expect is exposure to a cancer-causing chemical when entering the store or wearing their clothes. The dry cleaning industry uses a toxic chemical called perchloroethylene, which is also known as “perc.” In the late 1970s, increasing evidence demonstrated that perc used by professional dry cleaners was harmful to human health and the environment. Today, this toxic chemical contaminates our air and water and endangers workers and families exposed to it daily.
Perc causes cancer and other health problems:
California Proposition 65 has classified perc as a chemical known to cause cancer.
Perc can also cause: cracking or irritation of the skin; irritation of the eyes, nose, mouth, throat and lungs; burns; headaches; dizziness; nausea; fainting; coughing; fluid buildup in the lungs; and damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, liver, and reproductive system.
Perc contaminates the air we breathe and the water we drink:
Statewide, the dry cleaning industry emits 222,000 gallons, or about 3 million pounds of perc per year. Based on an estimate from perc manufacturers, about 80 percent of the perc sold in California is used for dry cleaning operations. In addition, perc is estimated to have contaminated 1 in 10 public drinking wells in California. Typically, cleaners are neighborhood based and located in relatively populated areas. This harmful solvent is used by over 85% of dry cleaners in California, and it harms shop employees. |
