08 LC 37
0734
House
Resolution 1881
By:
Representatives Drenner of the
86th,
Benfield of the
85th,
Thomas of the
100th,
and Manning of the
32nd
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the House Dry-Cleaning Solvents Study Committee; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
there is a government administered program that has successfully resulted in the
remediation of tens of thousands of petroleum spills across the country;
and
WHEREAS,
the general public remains ignorant that the second most substantial threat to
our drinking water resources is the release of dangerous chemicals by
dry-cleaners; and
WHEREAS,
the dry-cleaning process is not dry but simply uses nonwater based solvents to
clean garments; and
WHEREAS,
in the 1940´s the industry developed the chlorinated solvent
perchloroethylene known as perc, which remains the predominant chemical used by
dry-cleaners today; and
WHEREAS,
the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established that
perc is a potential carcinogen and its degradation product, vinyl-chloride, is a
known carcinogen; and
WHEREAS,
while the dry-cleaning industry is slowly moving toward more environmentally
friendly garment cleaning techniques, there are approximately 27,000 perc-based
dry-cleaners operating in the United States today and probably at least as many
properties that have been operated as such dry-cleaners in the past;
and
WHEREAS,
a 2005 California study indicated that one water supply well in every ten tested
was shown to contain dry-cleaning solvents; and
WHEREAS,
as the years pass, the drinking water resources contaminated by these chemicals
will increase in number and at a time when the availability and sustainability
of water resources is called into question, ground-water resources are
increasingly precious commodities; and
WHEREAS,
perc releases from dry-cleaners remain largely unaddressed, with only 13 states
having established dry-cleaner remediation programs; and
WHEREAS,
it is imperative that the states without programs work now to craft legislation
necessary for the overdue solution to this pressing problem.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that there is created
the House Dry-Cleaning Solvent Study Committee to be composed of five members of
the House of Representatives to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives. The Speaker shall designate a member of the committee as
chairperson of the committee. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the
committee.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the
conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and
recommend any action or legislation which the committee deems necessary or
appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such
times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and
effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and
purposes of this resolution. The members of the committee shall receive the
allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated. The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received
by any member of the committee for more than three days unless additional days
are authorized. The funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this
resolution shall come from the funds appropriated to the House of
Representatives. In the event the committee makes a report of its findings and
recommendations, with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any, such report
shall be made on or before December 1, 2008. The committee shall stand
abolished on December 1, 2008.