The Clean Air Act

Congress passed the Clean Air Act in 1990. The final phase-in date for regulations adopted by EPA to implement the act rules for drycleaners who use perchloroethylene was September, 22, 1996.

This guide is offered as a review and update so cleaners can be certain they are in full compliance. The rules can be divided into three parts as follows.

Notification Requirements

Forms must be filed that identify the cleaning plant and the type of equipment it uses. The deadline for filing most of these forms is past, but a final deadline will come up September 22. In some cases, when information that was provided on the form is no longer accurate, a new form with new information should be filed.

Pollution Prevention Requirements

All drycleaners who use perc most conform to specified pollution prevention practices. The include monitoring, inspection and record-keeping tasks.

Equipment Requirements

In short, the federal clean-air rules say that perc vapors can no longer be vented to the atmosphere. But it's not quite that simple. Specific requirements vary depending on the type of equipment in use, when the equipment was installed and the amount of perc purchased in the past 12 months.

A note about transfer machines

There has been some confusion and some misinformation circulated in the industry regarding the status of transfer machines under the federal rules.

Other things to consider

The federal rules establish the minimum standards for perc emissions. States can, and do, set more rigorous rules. Check with your trade association, state environmental agency or the EPA regional office for your area to see if there are additional requirements you must meet. Assistance with compliance and obtaining necessary forms may also be available through the regional offices.

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