Perc No More?
Dry cleaners in California may be prohibited from using perchloroethylene, commonly called perc, in their cleaning if the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) adopts a ban on the chemical at its upcoming November meeting. Dry cleaners currently use 63 million pounds of perc per year. The chemical is a suspected carcinogen and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has had perc on its list of hazardous air pollutants scheduled for phaseout when suitable new technologies emerge.
The ban would prohibit dry cleaners in the state from purchasing perc machines after July 2004, with a complete ban on the chemical set for 2019. The California Cleaners Association and the Korean Dry Cleaners and Laundry Associations are opposing the ban, saying alternative technologies, such as wet cleaning, are too costly and not as effective.
