Dry cleaner in Nova Scotia fined $10,000 for contravening dry-cleaning regulations

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia – September 10, 2018 – Environment and Climate Change Canada

Canadians value a safe and a clean environment. Environment and Climate Change Canada’s enforcement officer’s work hard every day to make sure individuals and companies are observing Canada’s federal environmental laws.

On September 5, 2018, Ship-Shape Cleaners Limited was sentenced and ordered to pay a penalty of $10,000 which will be directed to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund.

On March 12, 2018, Ship-Shape Cleaners Limited was found guilty in Dartmouth Provincial Court, of contravening the Tetrachloroethylene (Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Requirements) Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

The charges stem from an inspection of the business’s premises, in 2017, during which Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers identified violations of the Tetrachloroethylene (Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Requirements) Regulations.

As a result of this conviction, the company's name will be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry.

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Quick facts

• Tetrachloroethylene, or PERC, is a dry-cleaning solvent, and it is designated as a toxic substance, under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, as it can enter the environment through the atmosphere, where it can damage plants and find its way into groundwater.
• The Environmental Offenders Registry contains information on convictions of corporations registered for offences committed under certain federal environmental laws.
• The Environmental Damages Fund is administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Fund was created in 1995 to provide a way to direct funds received as a result of fines, court orders, and voluntary payments to priority projects that benefit our environment.

Contacts

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Environment and Climate Change Canada
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ec.media.ec@canada.ca