With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
EPA gives OK to California ban on dry cleaning chemical
Listen
• 0:56
The federal Environmental Protection Agency has given the green light to California’s ban on a chemical many dry cleaners use.
Twenty years ago, California’s Air Resources Board identified perchloroethylene, or PERC, as a toxic air contaminant. For decades, though, dry cleaners relied on that solvent. Scientists say it’s a possible carcinogen that can cause neurological problems in humans and liver and kidney damage in rodents.
California has ordered dry cleaners to phase out the use of PERC by a dozen years from now. The US Environmental Protection Agency has given California permission to replace federal regulations with its own tougher rule.
The state’s Air Resources Board estimates that fewer than half the machines in California that used PERC five years ago are still cleaning with it now.
Support for LAist comes from
People who work in dry cleaning establishments are routinely exposed to PERC. So are people who take the cleaned clothes home.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures. -
It will be the second national day of protest against President Donald Trump. -
The university says the compact, as the Trump administration called it, could undermine free inquiry and academic excellence. -
This is the one time you can do this legally! -
Metro officials said it will be able to announce an opening date “soon.” -
While working for the county, the DA’s office alleges that 13 employees fraudulently filed for unemployment, claiming to earn less than $600 a week.
Best of LAist