Mississauga dry cleaner fined for environmental offence

Brampton, Ontario - March 1^st, 2017 - Environment and Climate Change Canada

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

On February 13, 2017, Mr. Samy Iskander, the former operator of a dry-cleaning facility located in Mississauga, pleaded guilty, in the Ontario Court of Justice, to one count of contravening the Tetrachloroethylene (Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Requirements) Regulations made pursuant to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. Mr. Iskander was fined $5,000, which will be directed to the Environmental Damages Fund.

An inspection of the dry-cleaning facility, conducted in January 2016 by the Department’s enforcement officers, revealed that a container, in which a residue containing tetrachloroethylene was found, did not have a secondary containment system, which is in contravention of the Tetrachloroethylene (Use in Dry Cleaning and Reporting Requirements) Regulations.

Quick facts 

• Tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or PERC, is a chemical used in Canadian dry cleaning. Tetrachloroethylene can enter the environment through the soil, where it can damage plants, and it can find its way into ground water.
• On March 29, 2000, tetrachloroethylene was added to “Schedule 1: List of Toxic Substances” of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. According to section 64 of the Act, a substance is classified as toxic if it may have an immediate or long-term harmful effect on the environment or if it may constitute a danger, in Canada, to human life or health.

Contacts

Media Relations
Environment and Climate Change Canada
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