BILL NUMBER:  S5560

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
establishing the financial assistance to business program

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

To establish, develop and implement a financial assistance to business
program to provide assistance to dry cleaning businesses and nail
salons to upgrade equipment to meet certain environmental standards.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 of the bill amends the environmental conservation law by
adding a new section 28-0114 to establish, develop and implement a
financial assistance to business program to provide assistance to dry
cleaning businesses for non-perchloroethylene machines and sprinkler
systems and to nail salons for upgrades to mechanical ventilation
systems to comply with air quality regulations.

Section 2 sets a 90-day effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

              

Research over the past 20+ years into the health risks of chemicals
used in the dry cleaning and nail salon industries has shown that
these chemicals are dangerous to both employees handling these
materials and to customers and nearby residents.

The use of perchloroethylene (PERC) in the dry cleaning industry has
long been known to create environmental hazards to both employees and
to residents who live adjacent to dry cleaning establishments. In the
late 1990's, research led the Environmental Protection Agency to
mandate that dry cleaning establishments be banned from apartment
buildings by 2020 because of the health risks posed by their use of
PERC. In 1997, the State of New York imposed regulations regarding
equipment, operation and maintenance standards for dry cleaners who
continue to use PERC (see 6 NYCRR Part 232, Perchloroethylene Dry
Cleaners). Unfortunately, the costs of complying with these
regulations is very costly and can range anywhere from $100,000 to
$150,000 or higher.

Nail Salons have also come under heightened scrutiny due to the
toxicity of certain chemicals used in their industry that raise
significant health concerns for both employees and customers. In order
to address the air quality issues presented by the use of these
chemicals, nail salon owners are facing tremendous expense of
upgrading mechanical ventilation systems.

Sometime in the late 1990's New York State provided a similar
financial assistance to business program that helped dry cleaning
establishments upgrade their equipment. Unfortunately, that program
ceased providing assistance sometime in 2000 and the number of dry
cleaning businesses that have been able to fully comply with these
regulations is not what we would hope it would be 20 years after the
regulations were proposed.

The need for these industries to comply with clean air standards and
to protect their employees and customers is obvious. What is less
obvious is their ability to do so without having to cease operations
and add to the growing loss of small businesses that are the lifeblood
of a strong economy.


This bill will provide financial assistance to dry cleaning and nail
salon businesses to allow them to meet their responsibility in
providing a healthy environment while allowing them to remain in
business and provide good jobs and great services in their
communities.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law; provided that, effective immediately, the addition,
amendment, and/or repeal of any rules and regulations necessary to
implement the provisions of this act on its effective date are
authorized and directed to be completed on or before such effective
date.