University Advancement

Public Relations and Strategic Communications

NEWS RELEASE

CSUN Researchers Suggest Ways to Meet Air Quality Regulations
Without Suffocating Dry Cleaners

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., May 31, 2007) — A recent study by Cal State Northridge researchers suggests that education and financial incentives could ease the way for dry cleaners as they struggle to cope with the effects of Rule 1421, a state requirement that the dry cleaning industry adopt alternatives to the chemical perchloroethylene by 2020.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) passed Rule 1421 in 2002 to reduce exposure to the cancer-causing agent which has been found in dry cleaning vapors since the 1950s.

"The problem is of particular concern because most drycleaners are located close to neighborhoods, shopping centers, day care facilities, restaurants and schools," said Ward Thomas, professor of urban studies and planning.

Thomas led CSUN’s Center for Southern California Studies’ efforts in tracking the dry cleaning industry’s progress. "The cancer risk for residents living near a dry cleaner as a result of the emission of perchloroethylene is argued to be greater than the cancer risk from living close to an oil refinery," said Thomas.

"The AQMD estimated 850 tons of perchloroethylene were being released annually into the region’s air and that dry cleaners were responsible for about two-thirds of those emissions," he said.

Thomas said understanding the need to confront air pollution in the Los Angeles Basin is the easy part. The challenge is how to design air quality regulations that minimize the costs placed on businesses.

"Businesses, based on economic and political grounds, are reluctant to adopt these new technologies because of cost concerns and uncertainty over the viability of these new technologies," he said.

The dry cleaning industry’s reluctance stems from the impression that health concerns over perchloroethylene have been exaggerated by the AQMD and the scientific community. "There is a pervasive belief that the manufacturers of alternative technologies falsely influenced the AQMD so they would have a captive market for their products," Thomas said.

Despite barriers, the dry cleaning industry has made progress in meeting the 2020 deadline, the study indicates.

The study recommends ways to ease the transition away from perchloroethylene, including more financial assistance for dry cleaners converting to alternative technologies, programs designed to facilitate the diffusion of technological knowledge, educating the industry on the negative health effects of perchloroethylene and providing incentives for manufacturers to continually service and improve existing technologies.

CSUN’s Center for Southern California Studies was established in 1996 to promote the study, documentation, and understanding of the cultural, historical, and ecological resources in the Southern California social and environmental setting. Housed in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, the center provides a bridge between diverse disciplines across campus while strengthening research ties between the university and the community. The center provides locational and policy analysis to the university and Southern California communities, local businesses, and government agencies.

For more information, contact Thomas at (818) 677-7247 or Thomas@csun.edu.