FACT SHEET

Proposed Amendments to National Perchloroethylene Air Emission Standards

for Dry Cleaning Facilities

ACTION

•	On December 1, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed
amendments to the 1993 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants
(NESHAP) for Perchloroethylene (PCE) Dry Cleaning facilities (PCE Dry Cleaning NESHAP).

•	The court-ordered deadline for the proposed rule is December 1, 2021, and the deadline for
the final rule is December 1, 2022.

TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

•	The CAA requires EPA to assess, review and revise air toxics standards, as necessary, taking
into account developments in practices, processes and control technologies.

•	The PCE Dry Cleaning NESHAP currently requires all new PCE dry-to-dry machines to be
equipped with refrigerated condensers and carbon adsorbers as secondary controls.

•	As a result of the technology review of the PCE Dry Cleaning NESHAP, EPA is proposing to
require all new and existing PCE dry-to-dry machines to be equipped with refrigerated
condensers and carbon adsorbers as secondary controls.

•	EPA believes that existing PCE dry cleaning facilities that are subject to the NESHAP would
be able to comply with the proposed requirements without incurring additional capital or
operational costs because they have purchased the newer machines as part of normal
business operations.

BACKGROUND

•	On September 22, 1993, EPA promulgated the Perc Dry Cleaning NESHAP (subpart M).

•	The standards address hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emissions of perchloroethylene, also
known as PCE, perc, tetrachloroethene, and tetrachloroethylene, from dry cleaning
operations.

•	PCE dry cleaning machines are classified into two types: transfer and dry-to-dry.

o Transfer machines are prohibited by the existing rule at major and area sources.
They are no longer sold; none are known to still be in operation and should have
been replaced by dry-to-dry machines,
o Dry-to-dry machines wash, extract, and dry the articles in a single machine. The
articles enter and exit the machine dry. Dry-to-dry machines have much lower
emissions than transfer machines.

•	On July 27, 2006, the NESHAP was amended based on findings of a residual risk and
technology review. Revisions to the rule strengthened leak detection and repair procedures

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at major and area sources and also included a phase-out of facilities co-located in buildings
with residential occupancy by 2020.

•	We estimate there are between 10,000 and 15,000 sources subject to these standards.
These sources are primarily area sources and are small commercial facilities.

HOW TO COMMENT

•	EPA will accept comments for 45 days after the proposal is published in the Federal
Register.

•	Comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2005-0155 may be submitted by one
of the following methods:

o Go to https://www.regulations.gov/ and follow the online instructions for submitting
comments.

o Send comments by email to a-and-r-docket@epa.gov. Attention Docket ID No. EPA-
HQ-OAR-2005-0155.

•	Out of an abundance of caution for members of the public and our staff, the EPA Docket
Center and Reading Room are closed to the public, with limited exceptions, to reduce the
risk of transmitting COVID-19. Our Docket Center staff will continue to provide remote
customer service via email, phone and webform.

o We encourage the public to submit comments via https://www.regulations.gov/ or
email, as there may be a delay in processing mail and faxes. Hand deliveries and
couriers may be received by scheduled appointment only.

o For further information on EPA Docket Center services and their current status,
please visit us online at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

•	Interested parties can download a copy of the proposed rule notice from EPA's website at
the following address: https://www.epa.gov/stationarv-sources-air-pollution/dry-cleaning-
facilities-national-perchloroethylene-air-emission

•	Today's action and other background information are also available electronically at
https://www.regulations.gov/. EPA's electronic public docket and comment system.

•	For further technical information about the rule, contact Brian Storey, EPA's Office of Air
Quality Planning and Standards, at (919)-541-1103 or storey.brian@epa.gov.

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