PANEL VOTES TO BAN PERC.Byline: Staff and Wire Services DIAMOND BAR - Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, air-quality officials voted on Friday to impose the nation's first ban of the most commonly used dry cleaning dry cleaning, process of cleaning fabrics without water. Special solvents and soaps are used so as not to harm fabrics and dyes that will not withstand the effects of ordinary soap and water. Dry cleaning began in France about the middle of the 19th cent. solvent due to health concerns. The South Coast Air Quality Management District The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), formed in 1976, is the air pollution agency responsible mainly for regulating stationary sources of air pollution for most of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside County, and all of Orange county. voted 11-0 to end the use of perchloroethylene per·chlor·o·eth·yl·ene n. Abbr. PCE A colorless, nonflammable organic solvent, Cl2C:CCl2, used in dry-cleaning solutions and as an industrial solvent. , known as perc, by 2020. ``I do believe that perc causes a significant health risk,'' board member Jane Carney said. The board took the action after considering separate proposals to ban or limit the chemical. ``I think it needs not only to be reduced but to be phased out altogether,'' said board member Roy Wilson For other uses, see Roy Wilson (disambiguation). Roy Edward Wilson (b. September 13 1896, Foster, Iowa - d. December 3 1969, Clarion, Iowa) was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played briefly for the Chicago White Sox during the 1928 season. , who represents the Riverside area and introduced the measure approved by the board. The AQMD's move garnered support from the Santa Monica-based environmental lobbyist group Coalition for Clean Air, which released a study in October linking perc to cancer, nerve damage, reproductive difficulties and birth defects birth defects, abnormalities in physical or mental structure or function that are present at birth. They range from minor to seriously deforming or life-threatening. A major defect of some type occurs in approximately 3% of all births. . Under the measure, dry cleaners will have to upgrade their technology by 2007 to reduce emissions of perc. The move also halts the opening of any new businesses that use the chemical. ``Unbelievable. Unbelievable. There are no other states that have to endure this ban,'' said Richard Winters Richard D. Winters (born January 21, 1918) is a former United States Army officer who commanded Company "E" (popularly referred to as "Easy Company") of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division during the Second World War. , owner of Encino Dry Cleaners for 25 years. ``Hopefully I'll be retired by the time this ban affects my business. Although, my son was thinking about taking over the cleaners.'' To help ease the economic impact, the panel approved $2 million in grants to help dry cleaners switch to alternative chemicals. Shop owners fear the expense of changing chemicals and related technology could put them out of business. They said there is no alternative to perc when it comes to removing grease and oil. ``It's not that we care what we use to clean the clothes. It's just that we need something that's relatively inexpensive and effective,'' said Nick Tirabassi, president of Porter Ranch Cleaners. In making the decision, the board accepted the results of a study by staffers that showed about 50 percent of the perc used by dry cleaners finds its way into the air. Previous studies put that number at 15 percent. Martin Schlageter, who represents the Coalition for Clean Air, had hoped the ban would have been implemented sooner than 2020. ``It's far away for people who work with perc every day,'' he said. ``To them, it's not soon enough.'' Schlageter predicted that other air-quality officials around the nation would follow suit with similar bans. Scientists estimate the cancer risk posed by long-term exposure to perc is between 20 and 140 in 1 million. Studies have linked the compound to cancers of the lung, cervix cervix /cer·vix/ (ser´viks) pl. cer´vices [L.] 1. neck. 2. the front portion of the neck. 3. cervix uteri. , esophagus and bladder in dry-cleaning workers. The AQMD AQMD Air Quality Management District AQMD Action Quake Map Depot has been regulating perc for 20 years. Since 1994, regulations have led to an 80 percent reduction in the amount released into the atmosphere. The AQMD has pushed alternative technologies. |
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