National Clothesline

If you were trying to invent a fictional worst-case contamination clean-up scenario, you could do no worse than the real-life goings-on in Lodi, California. The facts of the case strain credulity. It’s hard to imagine that so many years have passed and so many millions of dollars have been spent with very little progress made toward actually correcting the problem. It’s hard to believe that anyone — much less a town council — would not balk when offered a loan at an interest rate greater than 20 percent. It’s hard to believe that anyone would think that an answer to out-of-control legal costs would be to sue more people. We wish it were hard to believe that anyone would think to twist cleaning up the environment into a scheme for self enrichment. Unfortunately, the latter isn’t quite so hard to believe, even though it should never happen. And most grievously, all of the above “hard to believes” are true.

Lodi may be the worst-case scenario, but it is not the only example of an environmental clean-up turning into a legal fiasco. Horror stories surrounding clean-ups — some involving drycleaners, some not — abound. The concept of “joint and several liability” has been the fertilizer that let a thousand court cases bloom.

Obviously, the “sue me, sue him, sue everybody” approach does not work, except perhaps to keep lawyers employed. The costs of cleaning up the environment are staggering. Adding staggering legal costs, not to mention delays of years and years, only makes matters worse.

What is needed is a rational approach based on science and engineering, not legal maneuvering and political posturing. That understanding is the best thing that could come from this worst case.

It’s not every day that you have an opportunity to purchase a little history.

As IFI undergoes the moving process into its new headquarters in Laurel, Maryland, a summons for help has been issued. Cleaners who wish to support the association that has long supported them can answer the call— and, fortunately, they won’t even have to lift any heavy boxes.

Through the “IFI Legacy Lane Buy a Brick” program, cleaners can now buy personalized, laser-inscribed bricks that will soon be placed at the sidewalk leading to the main entrance of the association’s new facility. A standard 4 x 8 inch brick with three lines of inscription costs $100. The association also offers a large 8 x 8 inch brick with six lines of inscription for $200 and a giant 16 x 16 inch brick for $2,000. Logos can be incorporated into the brick for an additional $75. The funds raised will be used to boost IFI’s research and education efforts for the overall betterment of the industry.

It’s not a bad way to show thanks to an association that has fought battles on behalf of cleaners for decades and it’s also not a bad way to honor those from past generations who have paved the way for industry members today. IFI District 7 Director David Silliman, who owns Uptowne Drycleaning in Phoenix, bought two bricks for precisely that reason. “This industry has supported my family for 84 years. I wanted something to honor my family —†my father, grandmother and grandfather. I want them to be part of Legacy Lane with me,” he said.

Impressively enough, Silliman hasn’t been alone with the sentiment. So far, a generous bounty of bricks have been bought in only a short amount of time. In fact, one hundred bricks were sold over a five-day period during the first week of August — and orders continue to be placed in bunches from every segment of the industry: member cleaners, industry consultants, IFI affiliated state associations, manufacturers and distributors. It’s refreshing to see so many coming together quickly for a good cause. Usually it takes a looming threat to the industry of some sort to generate so much instant unity.

The bricks themselves will take eight to ten weeks to be engraved, so it may be a while before all the bricks are built on location at the new site. However, once the project is complete — what an impressive foundation it will be, both literally and symbolically. If you wish to add to the legacy, call Jon Meijer or Tammy Williams at (800) 638-2627.