The cleaning agent perchloroethylene (or perc) used by many dry cleaners is a dangerous chemical that can cause cancer, liver, and kidney damage and neurological harm. Workers at dry cleaners, consumers that use dry cleaners, and neighbors of dry cleaners running perc machines are exposed and at risk.

Dry cleaners use perc as a solvent in exactly the same way that we use water and detergent in washing machines. Unlike water and detergent, though, perc is highly toxic. EPA estimates that there are approximately 28,000 dry cleaning facilities in the United States. In most towns and cities there is at least one dry cleaner in every neighborhood, and in some major cities, such as New York, dry cleaners are often co-located in apartment buildings. Because perc is so toxic and because so many Americans are constantly exposed to it in their homes, schools and neighborhoods, phasing out perc emissions from dry cleaners should be a top priority for EPA.

Because EPA last evaluated its dry cleaner regulations in 1993, the Clean Air Act requires it to bring those old regulations up to date. The agency has to fully study the risks that still exist as well as the latest developments in technology that can control dry cleaners’ toxic pollution.

Unfortunately, EPA has completely dropped the ball. Although it is now well known that the cancer risks from dry cleaners are enormous and that these risks could be eliminated completely by requiring the phase-in of safe cost-effective non-perc alternatives, EPA has proposed not to phase out perc. EPA refused even to consider some of the safe alternatives that are now readily available, including:

• Professional wet cleaning – There are no threats to worker health and safety, no toxic emissions, and no hazardous waste. Professional wet cleaning machines have a cheaper operating cost per pound than perc machines, according to a study done by the City of Los Angeles, and the costs of purchasing new professional wet cleaning equipment are often lower than the costs of purchasing new perc-using machines.

• Carbon dioxide machines – They generate only a minimal amount of hazardous waste depending on the cleaning agents and spotting chemicals used, do not contribute additional carbon dioxide into the air, and can operate at a lower cost per pound than perc machines. Both of these alternatives have been proven to be as clean and effective on all types of materials.

Some dry cleaners have already stopped using perc. Throughout the United States, environmentally conscious dry cleaners have started voluntarily replacing their old machines with new wet cleaning equipment, or dry cleaning equipment that runs on carbon dioxide. These cleaners have learned that the switch is not just good for safety, it’s also profitable. EPA can learn from their experience, and adopt a phased-in approach that requires dry cleaners to replace their dangerous perc machines with safer alternatives when the perc machines wear out.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District in southern California has already started a successful mandatory phase-out of perc dry cleaners. Since 2002, the southern California region has been phasing out dangerous perc dry cleaning machines, replacing them as necessary with cleaner machines. By 2020, the region will be free from perc dry cleaners! Let’s get the same protection for the rest of America.

We need your help: Tell EPA that cleaning up the dry cleaners is feasible and necessary for all Americans and for our environment. Please take action today!

If you would like to submit your own letter directly to the EPA, please send it to:

EPA Docket Center (6102T)
Attention Docket ID No. OAR 2005–0155
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460