Nevada ERP for Dry Cleaners

The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) was the lead applicant and recipient of the Environmental Results Program (ERP) grant funded by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Nevada Small Business Development Center (NSBDC)-Business Environmental Program (BEP) coordinated the ERP through a contract with NDEP. BEP worked with the state and local environmental programs to: establish a baseline of dry cleaner environmental compliance and performance; provide outreach and assistance; develop a multi-media self-certification program and manage a follow-up assessment to measure and report improvements in dry cleaner compliance and environmental performance in the metropolitan areas of Washoe and Clark counties. The ERP addressed requirements established by hazardous waste, water and air pollution regulations.

Goals of the Nevada ERP were to:

Provide compliance assistance for facilities within the perchloroethylene (perc) dry cleaner sector
Utilize existing state and local regulatory staff resources for multi-media (versus single-media) inspections
Develop dry cleaner multi-media inspection and compliance assistance tools and training, and compliance self-certification forms suitable for Washoe and Clark County
Work with compliance inspection personnel to develop the multi-media inspection forms and provide training on the use of the forms to ensure the collection of high quality information during inspections
Encourage the use of pollution prevention activities and Best Management Practices (BMPs)
Manage the data collected from inspections and self-certifications and the data collection process to measure the effect of the ERP program on dry cleaner compliance and environmental performance, and estimate quantities of emissions prevented or reduced
Collaboratively work with industry stakeholders, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), and local environmental agencies to engage the local agencies and dry cleaning facilities in the ERP program to improve and enhance their environmental compliance and environmental performance

Final Report (PDF) (18 pp, 224K)

Clark County Dry Cleaner Self-Certification Checklist (PDF) (6 pp, 73K)
Clark County Dry Cleaner Self-Audit Manual (PDF) (10 pp, 418K)
Washoe County Dry Cleaner Multimedia Inspection Checklist (PDF) (5 pp, 68K)
Washoe County Dry Cleaner Self-Audit Manual and Checklist (PDF) (20 pp, 506K)
Dry Cleaner Multimedia Inspection Form Cover Page (PDF) (1 pg, 13K)
Dry Cleaner Self-Certification Training Presentation (PDF) (82 pp, 5.7MB)

EPA State Innovation Grant Program Results – Using the EPA grant program, states tested and implemented a variety of new ideas to improve permit compliance and integrate voluntary stewardship approaches.

Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Initiative – The ERP is an alternative to traditional regulation that requires self-audits with accompanying self-certification to validate compliance with environmental requirements.

Central Truckee Meadows Remediation District (CTMRD) – Administered by the Washoe County Department of Water Resources (WCDWR) on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) and is responsible for a number of objectives, including mitigating existing PCE contamination in the central Truckee Meadows aquifer system, preventing future contamination, protecting existing uncontaminated portions of the aquifer, and keeping stakeholders and interested parties informed of program activities. These many objectives are reflective of the belief that effectively managing the PCE problem in the central Truckee Meadows requires a multi-pronged approach.

Attention dry cleaners: alternatives assessment of perc now available

Toxic Use Reduction Institute conducted an alternatives assessment of seven common alternatives to perc to help dry cleaners find technically viable and environmentally preferred methods for cleaning clothes.

The alternatives evaluated include: Professional Wet Cleaning, Liquid Carbon Dioxide, High Flash Hydrocarbons, Acetal (Solvon K4), Propylene Glycol Ethers, Cyclic Volatile Methyl Siloxane (GreenEarth), and N-Propyl Bromide (nPB). The results appear in two documents – a 54-page detailed report and a four-page fact sheet.