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Pfeffer's Cleaners agrees to EPA order to comply with Clean Air Act

Release Date: 07/16/2009
Contact Information: William Omohundro, 312-353-8254, [email protected]

CONTACT: William Omohundro, 312-353-8254, [email protected]


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 09-OPA123


(Chicago - July 16, 2009) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has issued an administrative consent order to Pfeffer's Cleaners to comply with the Clean Air Act at the company's dry cleaning plant at 2490 County Road East, White Bear Lake, Minn.

The EPA order requires Pfeffer's Cleaners to stop using a transfer machine in its dry cleaning process no later than Sept. 1. A transfer machine is a multiple-machine dry cleaning operation in which washing and drying are performed in different machines. Transfer machines have been banned for use in dry cleaning since July 2008.

Pfeffer's Cleaners is subject to the dry cleaning rule of the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants because it uses perchloroethylene in its dry cleaning process. Perchloroethylene may cause serious health effects including birth defects and cancer, and it may also cause harmful environmental and ecological effects.

EPA notified Pfeffer's Cleaners in January that it believed the company was in violation of the dry cleaning rule. In February, EPA and company representatives discussed the alleged violation.

EPA learned of the alleged violation from local health authorities and from the company's response to an EPA information request.

Information about EPA Region 5's air enforcement program is at https://www.epa.gov/region5/air/enforce/index.html. Potential environmental violations may be reported at https://www.epa.gov/compliance/complaints.