Baise & Miller provides an overview of the Barton Bill and explains how the bill would protect cleaners from excessive cleanup costs.

Omaha drycleaner Barney Deden testified April 16 before a joint hearing of two congressional subcommittees on the effects of out-of-control legislation on his business.

The industry's struggles with the problem didn't start yesterday and won't end tomorrow.

Barton bill gains support

Sponsor list grows to 15. Barton wants 100

Fifteen US Representatives are now signed on as cosponsors of HR 1711, aka the Barton Bill, which was introduced by Texas Republican Joe Barton on May 22.

Legislation to change the cleanup standards for drycleaning solvents in soil and groundwater was introduced in Congress May 22 by Texas Republican Joe Barton.

Known formally as the Small Business Remediation Act, the legislation would tie standards of cleanup for drycleaning solvent in soil and groundwater to OSHA's standards of exposure to the same chemicals in the workplace.

Rep. Barton spoke to an audience of about 175 people at a Legislative Day program during Clean 97 in Las Vegas. He said he would like to have 100 cosponsors signed on to the bill by the end of summer.

"We need to get 100 cosponsors in the next three to four months," Barton said. "Then in September we can go to the Speaker and Committee Chairman and show support for moving the idea."

Barton urged cleaners to "educate your Congressman" by talking to them face to face if possible to get their support for the bill. "This is not a partisan issue," he said. What we need is education."

For his part, Barton said he would circulate a "Dear Colleague" letter among House members asking them to sign on as cosponsors.

Five of the cosponsors are Barton's fellow Texans: Democrats Martin Frost, Silvestre Reyes and Gene Green, and Republicans Lamar Smith and Henry Bonilla.

Three Virginians, all Democrats, have added their names to the list since the bill was introduced. They include Owen Picket, Norm Sisisky and Virgil Goode.

Another recent addition is Republican Jim Bunning of Kentucky.

Also among the Republican cosponsors are Michael Crapo and Helen Chenoweth, both of Idaho Republicans John Shadegg of Arizona, Jon Christensen of Nebraska, and George Radanovich of California.

Petition signing at Clean
Also at the Clean Show, the International Fabricare Institute headed up a petition drive to get support for the bill. IFI had a huge map of the United States at its booth where cleaners signed their names on their home states. Members of Congress will receive a copy of the portion of the map with their state showing the signatures that were gathered.

The Texas-based Southwest Drycleaners Association agreed to underwrote the petition effort and is hoping other industry trade groups will share in the expense . The Mid-Atlantic Cleaners and Launderers Association supplied the lapel stickers that were given to supporters after they signed the petition.

More sponsors needed
Baise & Miller, the Washington law firm that has been spearheading efforts on Capitol Hill for the legislation. In particular, Baise & Miller would like to see the following representatives add their names to the list of cosponsors:

• Scotty Baesler (D-KY)
• Bill Barrett (R-NE)
• Brian Bilbray (R-CA)
• Tom Bliley (R-VA)
• Tom Coburn (R-OK)
• Peter Deutsch (D-FL)
• Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
• Ralph Hall (D-TX)
• Tony Hall (D-OH)
• Jay Kim (R-CA)
• Steve Largent (R-OK)
• Karen McCarthy (D-MO)
• Michael Oxley (R-OH)
• Bart Stupak (D-MI)
• Billy Tauzin (R-LA)
• Ed Whitfield (R-KY)

Barton's remarks
In commentary Rep. Barton offered when introducing the legislation, he said his legislation would "enable the nation's 30,000 drycleaners, their employees, neighbors and customers to improve the local environment while preserving the drycleaners ability to preserve business and remain vital contributors to their communities."

Barton said the legislation would correct "the misapplication of the federal drinking water standard to soil remediation projects." The 5 parts per billion standard "might be appropriate for drinking water, he said, "but can hardly be considered appropriate for the amount of perchloroethylene in dirt."

"As a result of this arbitrary, illogical situation, drycleaners increasingly face clean-ups requiring staggering sums of money," Barton said. "In many cases the drycleaner may simply be forced to declare bankruptcy and walk away penniless. "