NC study flawed, Rynex CEO says
A recently published study on drycleaning solvents was criticized last month by Bill
Hayday, chief executive officer of Rynex, who said that it was “absurd”
for the study to declare Rynex “not market
ready.”
The study, conducted by a 19-member panel
under the auspices of the North Carolina Department of Environment and
Natural Resources, surveyed the
use of solvents in the drycleaning industry, including perc,
GreenEarth, hydrocarbon, liquid carbon dioxide and wetcleaning.
(A copy of the full report in pdf format is available here.)
Although Rynex was listed as an
alternative process in its report, the panel said that Rynex
was “not considered market ready at this point.”
The panel said it “knew of only one Rynex plant in the
United States that has operated for an extended period of time,
but it apparently has been converted to some other
process.”
Hayday said that at the time the study
commenced in January 2001, Rynex had “over 25
sites” in operation.
He added that Rynex provided information
“to selected panel members (but) it was ignored”
and that the panel made “certain assumptions based on
hearsay.”
“I do not believe this is a very
scientific approach and one that has to make you think twice
about the validity of other findings of the report.”
Hayday also criticized the make-up of the
19-member panel, saying it “could be assumed that the
panel was somewhat biased from the outset.”
Representatives from GreenEarth, MiCell, the Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance, and state and national trade associations
were on the panel along with three equipment distributors, five
drycleaners, three state government officials, two members of
environmental groups and one member of academia. The study was
undertaken at the request of the North Carolina General
Assembly, which asked the panel to identify current and
developing drycleaning processes in the state along with the
equipment and historical trends in their use, and to evaluate
the benefits, costs and feasibility of the processes and
equipment.
The report recommended that due to
reductions in solvent use and more sophisticated equipment
there is no need for further regulation of the drycleaning
industry. Instead, the report said, the government should use
financial incentives to encourage the continued reduction of
solvent use and implementation of alternatives in the industry.
The North Carolina study said that perc,
as currently used in the drycleaning industry, “does not
pose a significant human health risk to the general
population.” Included in the panel’s report was a
separate study by the North Carolina Occupational and
Environmental Epidemiology Branch (OEEB) that determined
“that there is no credible evidence to associate perc as
used in the drycleaning industry with cancer in
humans.”
Hayday said he agrees with the North
Carolina panel that the use of the predominant solvents has
been reduced. But despite those improvements, Hayday believes
“we are still faced with the same old environmental and
health concerns. We are entering a new era with respect to
cleaning, one in which the alternatives will far outpace the
traditional modes of operation.”
Although Rynex was not included in the
study, Hayday believes it is equal to or better than the other
processes.
“Rynex cleans better, removes more
stains and delivers garments that are odor-free with the feel
and hand of new garments,” he said. “Our research
indicates that Rynex has an effective KB value that is closer
to perc’s 90 than the other alternative solvents.”
He added that Rynex’s flash point of over 200°F is
higher than that of hydrocarbon solvents and GreenEarth.
As to environmental issues, Hayday said
that Rynex is biodegradable, has low toxicity and is not
regulated as a hazardous air pollutant or under the Clean Water
Act or the Safe Drinking Water Act.
“Rynex is not listed under
California Proposition 65. It is non-carcinogenic and not
classified as a hazardous waste material,” Hayday said.
Hayday also said that Rynex “can be
used effectively in any hydrocarbon machine.” He noted
that equipment manufacturers are offering Rynex-ready machines.
Several manufacturers are producing machines said to be capable
of using any of several newer solvents, including hydrocarbons,
silicone and Rynex.
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