Drying Up
Dry-cleaning solvents could be headed for the hazardousmaterials list if a piece of legislation passes. The bill, proposed by West Hollywood assemblyman Paul Koretz, would reclassify perchloroethylene—known as perc—as an environmentally hazardous substance and would require dr ycleaners to phase out usage of perc by 2014. Perc has already been banned by the South Coast Air Quality Management District, which requires that the substance be phased out in four Southern California counties by 2020. Koretz’s bill covers the entire state and would also impose a $3-per-gallon fee on perc purchases. The fees would then be used to help drycleaners switch to alternate, nonhazardous solutions.
