The HB6115 bill has been proposed by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and was introduced by house representative Julie Hamos
Under this proposed legislation, drycleaners would be banned from installing perc machines from 1 January 2011 and from 1 January 2013 drycleaners would not be able to use perc if they are located in residential buildings. From the same date drycleaners would also be banned from using any perc machine that is 15 years old or older, based on its date of manufacture. A total ban on perc would be effective by 2026.
The bill also allows the state's Drycleaner Environmental Response Trust Fund to collect taxes on perc use. The money will be deposited into a grant account to be used, subject to certain limitations, to establish a demonstration program to highlight green solvent drycleaning technologies and provide grants to encourage cleaners to switch to such methods.
