NCDENR - WM

DENR and the Cleaner

There are an estimated 2,000 active and abandoned dry-cleaning sites in North Carolina. As many as 1,500 of these sites may be contaminated with solvents used in the dry-cleaning process. In 1997, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a law to address this problem. The Dry-Cleaning Solvent Cleanup Act (DSCA) established a fund to help dry cleaners and property owners investigate and clean up contaminated dry-cleaning sites. The fund is supported by taxes collected on dry-cleaning services and solvents. DSCA also authorized the creation of rules called Minimum Management Practices (MMPs) that active dry-cleaning facilities must comply with in order to prevent environmental contamination.

The DSCA Program consists of two units: Compliance and Remediation.The Remediation Unit oversees the cleanup of contaminated dry-cleaning sites under a voluntary agreement between the program and the potentially responsible party (the dry cleaner and/or property owner). Most of the costs for cleanup are paid by the DSCA Fund. The Compliance Unit inspects active dry-cleaning plants and enforces the MMPs and other environmental regulations.

(click on an icon to go to the remediation or compliance web sites)

News & Events

DSCA PROGRAM REAUTHORIZED

On August 26, 2009, Senate Bill 700 was signed into law extending the sunset date of the Program to January 1, 2022.

State Owned Property Fund Eligible

Senate Bill 700 included language to allow property owned by the state and contaminated with dry-cleaning solvent into the Program if the property was previously owned by a private business that is the source of the contamination.