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EPA, CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO PROMOTE BAY AREA WET CLEANERS

Release Date: 5/16/2000
Contact Information: Leo Kay, U.S. EPA, 415-744-2201, Mark Westlund, City of SF, 415-934-4814

     New alternative to dry cleaning produces less pollution

     SAN FRANCISCO   Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr. and EPA Regional Administrator  Felicia Marcus joined forces at Meader's Cleaners on Geary Blvd. today to announce to provide consumers with an environmentally responsible alternative to dry cleaning in the Bay Area.

     "Wet cleaning offers a great opportunity for those who want to stay clean and green," Marcus said.  "This new alternative to traditional dry cleaning eliminates air and water pollution without compromising quality.  Wet cleaning works, but it will only succeed if consumers support it."

     Wet cleaning is a pollution prevention method for cleaning clothes that is technically and financially comparable to conventional dry cleaning. More than 80 percent of dry cleaners nationwide use perchloroethylene, a hazardous air pollutant and a possible human carcinogen in their cleaning processes. Perchloroethylene-based dry cleaning is responsible for approximately 20,000 tons of harmful air emission annually in California alone, and has also contaminated 158 ground water wells in Southern California in the 12 years ending in1996.

     "We don't have to make our air dirty to get our clothes clean," Brown said.  "By offering wet cleaning, Meader's Cleaners is helping to make San Francisco's air cleaner, healthier and easier to breathe."

     The wet cleaning process uses water and biodegradable soaps that can be released just as the waste water from a conventional home washing machine is discharged.  A wet cleaning process generates no hazardous solid waste and prevents pollution in three media: water, air, and land.

     People  exposed to perchloroethylene, or "perc," have been known to suffer from  headaches, dizziness,  and irritation of the skin, eyes and respiratory tract.  Most  of the remaining dry cleaners not using perc are using cleaning agents that are flammable and contribute to air pollution.

     The City of San Francisco awarded Meader's Cleaners a $20,000 grant to assist with the purchase of equipment necessary to wet clean up to 60 percent of the "dryclean only" garments at its four San Francisco stores. Last year, the EPA funded a $100,000 project that has helped train and provide technical assistance to cleaners who want to move away from toxic processes.

     There are now 15 businesses throughout the Bay Area offering wet cleaning. They can be located by using the "Pocket Guide to Bay Area Professional Wetcleaners,"  that is available free through Earth's 911 hotline, 1-800-CLEANUP, or by visiting the website at www.1800CLEANUP.org.