On Wednesday, September 4, 2019 at 6:07:44 AM UTC-7, wrote:
Naptha was used by the dry cleaning industry until the '60s, when it was discovered to be carcinogenic. Then perchlorethylene (sp?) or "perc" started to be used. Although perc was also carcinogenic, the theory was that the machines using it were designed to recover 100% of it, so the employees wouldn't be exposed to it. But the machines only did that when they were maintained properly; perc tended to degrade the rubber seals quickly; and the dry cleaning shop owners didn't want to spend the money to maintain their machines that well, and they leaked into the work area. So perc turned out to be carcinogenic "as applied" (you constitutional law guys will know what that means. Reading, Jay?)

I don't see much in the way of PCE and TCE cancer claims, but I see a lot of pollution claims. PCE and TCE make lovely groundwater and soil plumes. PCE leaked out of dry cleaning machines and was also thrown down drains and sewers and sometimes out the back door. It crept through cement slabs, out of sewer and septic systems. It's persistent and expensive to remediate. Don't buy an old dry cleaner unless you want your own mini-Super Fund site.

-- Jay Beattie.