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WASHINGTON — The Green Seal™ environmental certification organization has published GS-51, a new standard designed to address the life cycle impacts of laundry care products for institutional and industrial settings.

Traditional laundry products are “significant contributors to water pollution, and manufacturers and users risk exposure to harmful chemicals through inhalation and skin contact when using many of these products,” Green Seal says.

GS-51 seeks to minimize or eliminate the use of many “hazardous ingredients” found in these products, plus provides an important benchmark regarding product concentration.

“Research has shown that the environmental impact of these products can be reduced by concentrating the product, thereby minimizing its volume,” says Dr. Arthur Weissman, president/CEO of Green Seal.

Concentrated products use less packaging material and contain less water, he adds. This equates to fewer pallets and trucks needed for transport and less space needed for storage.

WASHINGTON — This fall, U.S. dry cleaning and laundry businesses will receive 2012 Economic Census forms from the U.S. Census Bureau. Selected companies receive forms in October, but most will get them in December. The deadline for submitting the completed form is Feb. 12, 2013.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke has called this census “indispensable to understanding America’s economy.” Taken every five years, the Economic Census “assures the accuracy of the statistics we rely on for sound economic policy and for successful business planning,” he says.

There are a lot of interesting facts from the last Economic Census available about laundry and dry cleaning businesses at business.census.gov. Examples there illustrate how Census Bureau economic statistics are used by local businesses for marketing and planning, as well as by government agencies and researchers.

To preview the forms, visit census.gov/econ/census/smallbiz/forms_info.html.

WASHINGTON — Cash flow issues continue to plague a significant number of America’s small businesses, according to the results of a new survey by the National Small Business Association (NSBA).

Access to Capital Survey findings show that nearly half (43%) of small-business owners report that they needed funds at one point in the last four years and were unable to find any willing sources.

“Not only have small-business owners been unable to find new credit over the last four years, nearly a third had their existing credit slashed and one in 10 had their loans called in early,” says NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken.

Among the small-business owners who reported some change to their credit, 60% stated that the reason given was the bank’s internal risk assessment. Fifteen percent said they were given no explanation for changes to their credit.

Only small community banks and credit unions received a majority overall positive rating among small businesses asked to rate various lending institutions.

DOLTON, Ill. — There are two regulatory changes that have come to my attention. One is not so bad other than the fee increase, and the other is rather alarming. A bigger government and more control over our personal life and business is the purpose of it all. And we are going to pay more.

Washington and the states get around the unpopular votes for raising taxes and, of course, their respective re-elections by regulating us and telling the public that our business is making us sick and killing people. The safest way to increase their revenue is to regulate us. 

In Illinois, we now have another program that will eventually cost the taxpayers more money. Oh, I forgot, that is why they are raising the cost of the permits. The plan is to increase permit fees and reduce the cost to run the program.

WOODSTOCK, Ill. — Firbimatic, a manufacturer of dry cleaning machines, has relocated its U.S. corporate office to 13802 Washington St., Suite A, Woodstock, IL 60098. Its toll-free number—800-220-0630—and website—firbimaticusa.com—are unchanged.

The company announced two new hires: Rod McLemore as sales manager and Jon Pierce as parts manager.

McLemore brings with him extensive knowledge acquired through management/ownership of a large drycleaning chain in Texas, and many years working with various equipment manufacturers.

Pierce comes from the IT field with extensive knowledge in computers and web design, Firbimatic says. His responsibilities include effective inventory management and ensuring that Firbimatic provides the highest levels of customer service, according to the company.

WASHINGTON — When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posted the final health assessment for tetrachloroethylene—also known as perchloroethylene, or perc—to its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database in February, it deemed the chemical to be a “likely human carcinogen.”

The assessment replaces the 1988 IRIS assessment for perc and for the first time includes a hazard characterization for cancer effects. The assessment underwent several levels of rigorous, independent peer review including: agency review, interagency review, public comment, and external peer review by the National Research Council, according to the EPA, and all major review comments were addressed.

The Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance says 70% of U.S. commercial dry cleaners use perc; EPA estimates the total number to be 27,000. So what does this development mean for the future of the industry’s preferred solvent?

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Friday officially characterized tetrachloroethylene—also known as perchloroethylene (perc)—as a “likely human carcinogen,” but the agency does not believe that wearing clothing dry-cleaned with perc poses a health risk.

EPA issued its final health assessment to its Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database, which describes health effects that may result from exposure to various substances. The assessment provides estimates for both cancer and non-cancer effects associated with exposure to perc over a lifetime.

The agency has already taken several significant actions to reduce exposure to perc. It has clean air standards for dry cleaners that use perc, including requirements that will phase-out the chemical’s use in residential buildings by Dec. 21, 2020.

EPA also set limits for the amount of perc allowed in drinking water, and levels for cleaning up perc at Superfund sites throughout the country, which will be updated in light of the IRIS assessment.

WASHINGTON — The Henry Hub spot price for natural gas averaged $3.56 per MMBtu in October, 34 cents lower than the September average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Short-Term Energy Outlook report released Nov. 8.

This month’s Outlook lowers the 2011 forecast by 6 cents to $4.09 per MMBtu and lowers the 2012 forecast by 19 cents to $4.13 per MMBtu compared with last month’s report.

Even while the delivered cost of natural gas continues to decline, EIA expects the cost of coal delivered to electric generators to increase by 6.4% during 2011. The net effect will be relatively modest growth in retail electricity prices over the forecast horizon, the report says.

For route drivers, EIA forecasts that the annual average regular-grade gasoline retail price, which averaged $2.78 per gallon in 2010, will increase to an average of $3.54 per gallon in 2011, before declining to an average $3.46 per gallon in 2012. The agency expects that on-highway diesel fuel retail prices, which averaged $2.99 per gallon in 2010, will average $3.84 per gallon in 2011 and $3.79 per gallon in 2012.

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has launched a program that will enable many employers to resolve past worker classification issues and achieve certainty under the tax law at a low cost by voluntarily reclassifying their workers.

This new program will allow employers the opportunity to get into compliance by making a minimal payment covering past payroll tax obligations rather than waiting for an IRS audit.

The new Voluntary Classification Settlement Program (VCSP) is designed to increase tax compliance and reduce burden for employers by providing greater certainty for employers, workers and the government. Under the program, eligible employers can obtain substantial relief from federal payroll taxes they may have owed for the past, if they prospectively treat workers as employees.

The VCSP is available to many businesses that erroneously treat their workers as non-employees or independent contractors, and now want to correctly treat these workers as employees.

To be eligible, an applicant must:

WASHINGTON — The Henry Hub spot price for natural gas averaged $3.90 per MMBtu in September, 15 cents lower than the August average, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Short-Term Energy Outlook report released Oct. 12. EIA expects that Henry Hub spot prices will fall further in October, before rising above $4 per MMBtu in December.

The report lowers the 2011 forecast by 5 cents to $4.15 per MMBtu, 24 cents less than the 2010 average. Although the average 2011 spot natural gas price is lower than the 2010 average, the forecast price over winter 2011-12 is higher than last winter’s average.

EIA expects this winter’s heating season will start with an average Henry Hub spot price of $3.78 per MMBtu in October, and that the price in 2012 will average $4.32 per MMBtu.

WASHINGTON — A high school sophomore’s science project about the chemicals that remain in drycleaned clothing prompted a university study and publication online in a peer-reviewed environmental journal, the Washington Post reported recently.

A Georgetown University professor and graduate students assisted 15-year-old Alexa Dantzler with her experiment. She sewed squares of wool, cotton, polyester and silk into the lining of several men’s jackets and then had them cleaned at seven Northern Virginia drycleaners who had no knowledge of the experiment.

The research team determined that perc stayed in the fabrics and that levels increased with repeat cleanings, particularly in wool, the newspaper reported.

Industry representatives told the Post that the study was incomplete because the tested garments had been drycleaned but not pressed, which helps remove solvent.

Click here to view the published study.