On August 16, 2017, Dalex Canada Inc., located in Concord, Ontario, pleaded guilty in the Ontario Court of Justice to one count of contravening the Tetrachloroethylene (Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Requirements) Regulations made pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. The company was fined $100,000, which will be directed to the Environmental Damages Fund.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene and commonly called PERC or PCE, is a chemical used in Canadian dry cleaning and other industries such as textile mills, chemical production and vapour degreasing. PERC is on the List of Toxic Substances, Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. Exposure commonly happens through contaminated air or water, including groundwater.
ECCC said its enforcement officers conducted inspections in 2014 and identified instances where tetrachloroethylene was being sold to owners and operators of dry-cleaning facilities who did not meet regulatory standards.
As a result of ECCC’s subsequent investigation, Dalex Canada pleaded guilty to selling tetrachloroethylene to an owner or operator of a dry-cleaning facility who was not in compliance with the regulations. The regulations prohibit anyone from selling tetrachloroethylene to dry cleaners unless the dry-cleaning facility is compliant with certain sections of the regulations.
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
The latest environmental engineering news direct to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.
In addition to the fine, the court ordered Dalex Canada to publish an article in an industry publication, subject to ECCC’s approval. The company is also required to notify Environment and Climate Change Canada before resuming sales of the regulated product to dry cleaners. As a result of this conviction, the company’s name will be added to the federal Environmental Offenders Registry.
To view the original news release, visit: www.ec.gc.ca
