Department of Environment & Conservation
Jim Fyke, Commissioner
Drycleaner Environmental Response Program Annual Registration
Permit Links
DCERP Annual Registration Links
Helpful Links
Who Needs One?
» Owners or operators of drycleaning facilities conducting or intending to conduct drycleaning operations, during the year, must register. The Act defines "drycleaning operations" as the cleaning of apparel and household fabrics, using one (1) or more drycleaning solvents. The Act specifically excludes coin-operated drycleaning operations, facilities located on a US military base or owned by the United States, commercial uniform services and/or linen supply facilities, and facilities owned by the state.
» Current or prior owners or operators of abandoned drycleaning facilities may register. The Act defines an abandoned drycleaning facility as any real property premises or individual leasehold space on which a drycleaning facility formerly operated. Registration of abandoned facilities is a prerequisite for Fund eligibility and access to the fund for the reimbursement of environmental response activities.
» Owners or operators of instate wholesale distribution facilities (IWDF). An IWDF is a person or company whose primary business (minimum of 20% of gross receipts to drycleaning facilities) is selling drycleaning solvents and supplies to drycleaning facilities from a place of business located in the state.
» Drycleaning solvent suppliers which do not meet the definition of an IWDF and all IWDFs are required to submit quarterly reports of solvent sales and collect and remit the solvent surcharge fees to DCERP.
What Information Must I Provide?
Registrants must submit a completed Registration form:
» On or before October 31st each year
» Two weeks prior to commencement
of operations, or
» Within 30 days of a significant
change concerning the facility
Active or abandoned drycleaning facilities must submit a completed Drycleaning Facilities Registration form (form CN-1063) and the annual registration fee.
Instate wholesale distribution facilities must submit a completed Drycleaning Solvent Suppliers/Distributors Registration form (form CN-1062) and the annual registration fee. Each solvent supplier including IWDFs are required to submit a quarterly report of solvent sales and remit the solvent surcharges to the DCERP
New drycleaning facilities or IWDF initialing registering after October 15, 1997, must submit a notarized Best Management Practices (BMPs) certification statement verifying that the facility is in compliance with DCERP’s BMPs. New drycleaning facilities that are not staffed by a Certified Environmental Drycleaner (CED) must request an extension in writing and submit a signed copy of the Temporary Extension Policy. CED exam registration forms can be obtained from the Professional Testing Corporation at www.ptcny.com or from the International Fabricare Institute at www.ifi.org.
Form Description |
Number |
Form |
| Drycleaning Facilities Registration Form | CN-1063 | |
| Drycleaning Solvent Suppliers/Distributors Registration Form | ||
| DCERP Reimbursement Application (For Approved Costs) Form | ||
| Application for Entry into the DCERP Response Program | ||
| Drycleaner Approved Contractor (DCAC) Application Form | ||
| DCERP Quarterly Solvent Purchase Log | ||
| DCERP Annual Registration Notice |
How Will My Registration Be Processed?
Upon receipt of a registration form and appropriate fee, the DCERP reviews the form for completeness, and the registrant is notified of any deficiencies. After DCERP approval the location will be assigned a unique facility identification number. DCERP will issue a Certificate of Registration, to the registrant, which is only valid for the address printed on the certificate. It is unlawful to sell or transfer drycleaning solvent to a facility unless the facility has posted a valid certificate evidencing registration.
What Fees Are Required?
The Act requires payment of an annual registration fee and a per gallon surcharge on drycleaning solvent sold to drycleaning facilities. The fees and surcharges are deposited into the Drycleaner Environmental Response Fund. The fund is like an environmental insurance policy which is used for the reimbursement of expenditures for investigation and remediation (cleanup) of sites impacted by a release of drycleaning solvent.
NOTICE OF ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEE INCREASE
The Drycleaner Board voted on January 13, 2009 to raise the annual registration fee for all Drycleaner Facilities to $1,500.00 for the next year 2010. Invoices will be mailed September 2009 as usual and fees must be post marked by October 31, 2009
ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEES
Active drycleaning facility - The annual fee for an active drycleaning
facility is based on the amounts of drycleaning solvent purchased or obtained
during the preceding state fiscal year (July 1st - June 30th). The annual
fee is as follows:
» $500 - Facilities
that purchased or obtained less than 75 gallons of dense non-aqueous
solvents or products and/or less than 750 gallons of light aqueous
solvents or products.
» $1,000 - Facilities that
purchased or obtained at least 75 gallons but less than 150 gallons
of dense non-aqueous solvents or products or at least 750 gallons but
less than 1500 gallons of light non-aqueous solvents or products.
» $1,500 - Facilities that
purchased or obtained at least 150 gallons of dense non-aqueous solvents
or products or at least 1500 gallons of light non-aqueous solvents or
products; or facililties that purchased or obtained at least 75 gallons
of dense non-aqueous solvents or products and at least 750 gallons of
light non-aqueous solvents or products.
Abandoned drycleaning facility - The annual fee for an abandoned drycleaning facility is $1,500. An abandoned drycleaning facility can register after the initial registration period (January 31, 1996) provided that the current or prior owner or operator pays all past annual registration fees plus $50 per month late penalty since January 1996.
Instate wholesale distribution facilities - The annual registration fee for an IWDF is $5,500 per facility.
SOLVENT SURCHARGE FEES
The Act established a drycleaning solvent surcharge fee of:
» Ten dollars
($10) for each gallon of dense non-aqueous solvent or product purchased
by a drycleaning facility; and
» One dollar
($1) for each gallon of light non-aqueous solvent or product purchased
by a drycleaning facility.
Rule 1200-1-17 defines dense non-aqueous solvent or product as any chemical or mixture of chemicals other than water-based solvent that is used in the drycleaning of clothes and that does not float on water (in pure form has a specific gravity greater than 1.0)
Rule 1200-1-17 defines a light non-aqueous solvent or product as any chemical or mixture of chemicals other than water-based solvent that is used in the drycleaning of clothes and that floats on water (in pure form has a specific gravity less than1.0)
What Are My Rights And Responsibilities?
Owners and Operators of drycleaning facilities or in-state wholesale distribution facilities must annually register by October 31st. Owners and operators are subject to late/non-payment penalties of up to $50 per day. Owners and operators are responsible for complying with the rules of the Drycleaner Environmental Response Program and other applicable regulations.
It is illegal for drycleaning facilities or in-state wholesale distribution facilities to sell or transfer drycleaning solvent to an unregistered drycleaning facility. Violators are subject to civil penalties of up to $10,000 per incident.
Solvent suppliers who sell or transfer drycleaning solvent to Tennessee drycleaning facilities are responsible for collecting and remitting solvent surcharges to the department on a quarterly basis.
Owners and Operators of drycleaning facilities or in-state wholesale distribution facilities, current or prior owners or operators of abandoned drycleaning facilities and impacted third parties have the right to submit an application for acceptance of a site into the Program (Fund eligibility). After a site is preliminarily accepted into the program the applicant will hire a Drycleaner Approved Contractor (DCAC) who will conduct a Facility Inspection (FI) to determine the Fund eligibility of the site. The DCAC on behalf of the applicant will submit work plans, cost estimates and implementation schedules for each phase of the investigation/remediation. The Program will issue a Notice to Proceed (NTP) which authorizes the DCAC to initiate that particular phase of work. The applicant can periodically submit a DCERP Reimbursement Application (For Approved Costs) form CN-1125, to the Program for reimbursement of the reasonable cost of department-authorized inspection, investigation and remediation. The applicant is responsible for accepting responsibility for incurring costs(deductible) associated with each request for reimbursement at the following rates:
Facility Category |
Deductible % |
Maximum deductible |
| 1 | 5% | $5,000 per site, per clean-up |
| 2 | 10% | $10,000 per site, per clean-up |
| 3 | 15% | $15,000 per site, per clean-up |
| Abandoned drycleaning facilities | 25% | $25,000 per site, per clean-up |
| In-state Wholesale Distribution Facilities | 25% | $25,000 per site, per clean-up |
The statute (TCA 68-217-111) provides liability protection to eligible parties for releases under other laws or third party claims, if the site is fund eligible and is in material compliance with program requirements. The liability protection does not apply to personal injury claims or liability under federal laws.
What Are The Division’s Rights And Responsibilities?
Annual
Registration
The Department
is required to attempt to contact and submit a registration form to each
drycleaning facility, in-state wholesale distribution facility and registered
abandoned drycleaning facility at least thirty (30) days prior to the
registration due date.
The Department is required to provide each person who pays a registration fee with a receipt. The Department is required to deposit the fees and solvent surcharges into the Drycleaner Environmental Response Fund.
The Department may assess late/non-payment penalties of up to $50 per day and/or may proceed to court to obtain a judgment and seek execution of such judgement.
The Department will issue a Certificate of Registration to each properly registered facility.
Environmental
Response Activities
Owners or operators
who have properly registered, paid their fees and surcharges and maintained
their facilities in substantial compliance may be eligible for reimbursement
of the costs to investigate and cleanup their site.
After receipt and review of an application the owner, operator, property owner or impacted third party, will be notified by letter of the sites Fund eligibility. If the site is eligible the applicant’s contractor will submit work plans and cost proposals for each phase of the investigation/remediation of the site. Throughout the process the applicant will submit reimbursement request to DCERP. DCERP will evaluate the reimbursement request for reasonableness and consistency with the approved work plan and cost proposal. DCERP will reimburse the eligible costs associated with the investigation and cleanup less the appropriate deductible amount.
Upon completion of all necessary investigative/remedial work or a determination that no further investigation/remediation is necessary the Department will issue a certificate of completion.
Additional Information:
» List of Drycleaner Approved Contractors (DCACs)
Whom Do I Contact For Forms, Assistance And Other Information?
For further information including an informational brochure or DCERP Guidance Document packet, interested parties can send request to:
Drycleaner Environmental
Response Program, Program Manager
Division of Remediation
4th Floor L&C Annex, 401 Church Street
Nashville, Tennessee 37243-1538
Contact DCERP program staff at (615) 532.0900 or send a fax to (615) 741-1115.
The following web sites contains many additional references/publications:
» State Coalition for Remediation of Drycleaners
» Small
Business Environmental Assistance Program
