The TCEQ Dry Cleaner Remediation Program (DCRP) is a state lead clean up program and fund for dry cleaner related contaminated sites. It also established dry cleaner facility registration requirements, fees, performance standards, distributor registration, and revenue disbursement. This entity will dissolve in 2021 unless its voted upon by the Texas Legislature to continue. A group of Texas drycleaners have banded together to keep the DCRP alive and are raising funds in order to do so. Below is a letter sent to Texas drycleaners by the Coalition.
Texas DCRP Sunset Extension Coalition
The TCEQ Dry Cleaner Remediation Program (DCRP) will sunset in 2021. It may be a relief for those of you who do not directly benefit from the program, however, I ask you to consider the following; The TCEQ has already committed $49.8 million dollars in clean-up. Currently it has $21.27 million in the fund. Which means the TCEQ will likely continue the program and raise our fees. We the Texas Dry Cleaners have organized ourselves to lobby Texas Legislature in order to keep the TCEQ-DCRP AS IT CURRENTLY IS but extend the sunset date 20 more years in the future, leaving all other parts of the DCRP the same (same fees, etc.) Lobbying the Texas Legislature will give us a chance to be involved in the process and make our wishes known and understood.
There is a very small chance that the TCEQ-DCRP might not renew. Who would YOU rather answer to? The TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) or the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)? The TCEQ, as a regulatory agency, has limited funds for compliance auditing. Therefore audits and inspections are not common. Also, when TCEQ compliance audits do occur, TCEQ gives the audited Dry Cleaner time to make the necessary changes before fines are levied.
As many in the Texas Dry Cleaning industry already know, the expense of being in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality-Dry Cleaning Remediation Program (TCEQ-DCRP) and not benefitting, is a serious point of contention. However, we would encourage you to consider the following:
- While some dry cleaners do not directly benefit from the TECQ-DCRP, everyone does have secondary benefits because the EPA defers to the TCEQ. This allows us to work under TCEQ regulations: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/remediation/dry_cleaners,
Rather than EPA regulations:
- Since 1986 none of us have any “environmental cleanup” coverage insurance. However, because we have the TCEQ-DCRP most real estate transactions (sales and leasing) are not impacted by the lack of environmental cleanup insurance (even for those that have never used PERC it can be an issue).
If the TCEQ fund sunsets, then the regulatory arm for our industry will be the EPA. The EPA has several regulations in force over Dry Cleaning and Laundry operations; one for Perc and one for Petroleum (links above). Federal agencies typically have a larger staff and millions of dollars for compliance. Regardless of the type of solvent you use or have used, EPA has regulations that affect you. In particular, if your operation is not dry to dry (you have a Petromizer). Dealing with the EPA today is an unknown and moves our industry pollution regulation to the federal level. The state of Missouri has allowed their state fund to end; there are many anecdotal stories of lost land sales, lost leases and EPA interaction that have been challenging.
We are appealing to you to support the renewal of the TCEQ Dry Cleaner Remediation Program because it does benefit every Texas Dry Cleaner. In order to have the Texas Legislature consider keeping the Dry Cleaner Remediation Program in force AS IS, we need to hire a lobbying firm to take our cause before the Texas Legislature at the next session. Your financial support of $250, $500, $1000 or more is key, in order to get this accomplished. We as a Texas Dry-cleaning group are footing the bill. We will need to raise nearly $100,000!
As a reminder the Southwest Dry Cleaners Association will be having their bi-annual trade show, April 16-18, 2020 in Fort Worth, Texas. We will have a booth there to be available to answer your questions. Come out and see what’s new in our industry! https://www.sda-dryclean.com/
Please send a check to the Southwest Dry Cleaners Association office for your participation. You can make your check out to Southwest Dry-Cleaning Association, please put “Sunset Fund” in the memo line.
SDA
801 S. Highway 183 #1115
Leander, Texas 78641
Respectfully,
Craig Campbell
FRSTEAM DFW/HOUSTON
Danny Bahlman
BAHLMAN CLEANERS
Kyle Nesbit
TIDE DRY CLEANERS
MEMORIES GOWN PRESERVATION
AMIN BATA, CPD, CED,
PEPPER SQUARE CLEANERS
Jeff Schwarz
A.L. WILSON
Jess B. Culpepper
CULPEPPER CLEANERS, INC.
Erika Paine
OAK PARK CLEANERS
Richard Thum
FIVE STAR CLEANERS
Comments