An official website of the United States government.

News Releases from Region 02

EPA Settlement with Yonkers Dry Cleaner Means Company to Operate as “Green” Facility

11/08/2018
Contact Information: 
Tayler Covington (covington.tayler@epa.gov)
212-637-3662

(New York, N.Y.) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a recent settlement against Frey Cleaners, Inc. dry cleaning facility in Yonkers, NY. The company will invest at least $60,000 in a supplemental environmental project (SEP) to become a “green” dry cleaning facility by replacing its old dry cleaning machines with a new alternative solvent dry cleaning machine and use environmentally friendly solvents.

“Cleaning our clothes doesn’t have to come at the price of a dirty environment,” said EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez. “Helping our businesses operate sustainably keeps our communities safe. It’s a smart choice.”

Frey Cleaners had already purchased two “green” dry cleaning machines and, under this agreement, they will have purchased a total of three - replacing all of their dry cleaning machines with green machines.

The machines that the dry cleaner had been using use a solvent called perchloroethylene (commonly known as PCE or “Perc”), which can have serious health impacts, including liver damage and increased risk of cancer. In addition to requiring Frey Cleaners to purchase new dry cleaning machines and use non-PCE solvents, the settlement also requires Frey Cleaners to obtain an air permit from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to properly dispose of PCE-contaminated machines. Frey Cleaners has agreed to pay a $7,975 penalty for its past violations.

For more information about EPA requirements for dry cleaning operations, visit https://www.epa.gov/regulatory-information-sector/dry-cleaning-sector-naics-8123.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page,

http://facebook.com/eparegion2.

18-092