When America sneezes, Britain catches a cold and the US is introducing some tough environmental state laws.
Illinois, for example, has a programme called the Drycleaners Environmental Response Trust Fund. Set up to assist drycleaners clean up soil and ground water around their facilities, deal with spillages and generally regulate the business, it is funded by an annual licence fee, a tax on solvent (the more you use, the more you pay) and a hefty insurance premium. For those drycleaners that like to be frightened, visit http://www.cleanupfund.org/index.html and find out for yourself what is happening.
Will the European Union introduce solvent taxes, organise a site clean-up fund and sell licences to drycleaners? You can almost hear those nice men from Brussels shuffling the paperwork. Most drycleaners do not belong to a trade association that would fight their corner for them. If it happens, it will be a case of pay up and smile, or shut-up and go.
Bill Evett
