National Clothesline

California regulators shut down an Emeryville drycleaning solvent recycler, saying the company processed almost twice as much solvent as allowed and, at times, stored surplus hazardous waste in trucks parked on the street.

The company, Technichem Inc., accepted waste solvent at its Emeryville, CA, headquarters from cleaners in California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada. After repeated safety violations, the state Department of Toxic Substances Control levied a $1.4 million fine, then waived that fine after Technichem agreed to forfeit its permit.

The agency, oddly enough, provided Technichem a grant in the late 1980s to develop its recycling technology.

Technichem president Stephen Tung told the Oakland Tribune that he was appealing several permit provisions, but facing the fine, there was little choice but to cede the permit and move to Nevada, he said.

The problems started, Tung said, after the state issued a permit in 2001 allowing the company to process more solvent. The city of Emeryville appealed, as did Technichem. The company said many provisions were too restrictive. In the meantime, it operated as if portions of the permit were valid.

Tung said the appeal left Technichem in limbo. Had the agency denied or approved the appeal, the operating rules would be clear and there would be no opportunity for a lawsuit.

“We don’t feel we have committed wrongs that would merit the penalties the state seeks. But… we cannot afford to fight the state in court, Tung told the newspaper.

“There’s no contamination, no one ever got hurt,” he said. “We’re a small company. I would’ve loved to say we’re going to take our last dollar, pay a lawyer and… fight this. But we couldn’t.”

The Department of Toxic Substances Control said it had made it clear that the appealed permit had been stayed.

Charlene Williams, branch chief for statewide compliance at DTSC, said the Technichems’s operations posed a significant threat. In 2000, the agency sued the company for violations that included falsified information, unauthorized storage, unauthorized treatment, no aisle space, illegal transportation and no liability insurance, among others.

A consent decree gave Technichem a second chance, but in 2002, inspectors found many of the same problems.

The company was allowed to process 7,000 gallons per month, but was actually processing up to 12,000 gallons, according to court filings. Trucks containing a total of 135 containers of hazardous waste were found parked on Emeryville streets.

While no one was hurt and nothing spilled, the potential for harm was clear, Williams said. “We see ourselves as a preventative agency and that you have to follow all these rules in order to prevent things from happening.”

Under the court order, the company was given until Jan. 31 to submit a cleanup plan to the state and remove all hazardous waste from the property.

The company has lost four to six jobs in the two years while fighting for its permit. Another eight to ten will be lost when it closes. The company has been in Emeryville since 1984.

At the International Fabricare Institute’s Five-Star Management seminar in 2003, attendees had an opportunity to choose the topics for the following year’s program.

Cleaners wanted to learn more about employee relations and increasing production, so they can do precisely that at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 26 and 27.

Leading off the list of Five-Star speakers is sales trainer Barry Maher who will deliver a Thursday morning presentation entitled “Take This Job and Love It.”

He will demonstrate real-world tactics and reality-based motivation methods that inspire employees.

Other programs will include a panel discussion on alternative solvents by cleaners who use them in their everyday operations and “Finishing Fitness: How Much Can You Press?”

Also, IFI CEO Bill Fisher will define “per(c)secution” and give his projections on what regulatory issues cleaners will face in the future.

On Friday, there will be two educational sessions. Rex Carrigan will present “Razzle Dazzle ‘Em,” which includes tips on how to monitor customer’s patterns and win their loyalty.

Afterward, a group of creative cleaners will engage in a “Share and Tell” that offers up some interesting ideas on how to maintain your customer base.

The seminar fee is $329 per person. Rooms are available at a special low rate of $160 per night to IFI members who call Caesar’s Palace and mention IFI’s group discount rate prior to January 28. The phone number is (800) 634-6661.

For more information on the Five-Star Management seminar, contact IFI Registrar Susan Bale, at (800) 638-2627, ext. 144.

According to the Rocky Mountain Fabricare Association, inspectors from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ) will conduct unannounced plant inspections on drycleaners throughout the state.

For business owners who keep up-to-date record keeping, the process should be relatively quick and simple, RMFA noted, lasting only about 30 minutes.

Some of the inspection areas officials will focus on include:

• Temperature at the end of the cycle.

• Machine maintenance log, as well as annual perc consumption, and receipts for perc purchases. These records should all be kept together because inspectors want to see the records to verify that cleaners are continuously monitoring their machines.

• Methods of handling hazardous waste. Muck buckets should be cleaned out and containers should all be closed and labeled complete with the beginning storage date.

Inspectors will also check to see if waste lint is disposed of in a covered container until it is placed in a hazardous waste container for proper disposal.

RMFA advised that cleaners should make sure they have manuals on site for their drycleaning equipment. Also, the serial numbers of all drycleaning machinery should be available so that inspectors can verify that it has been properly registered with the UDEQ.

For more information, contact RMFA at (800) 243-1233.