Contact:  Sharon Goble  (517) 241-8280

Saginaw Dry Cleaner in Line for Environmental Loan

A Saginaw dry cleaner is in line for a $45,000 state pollution-prevention loan following the approval of its proposed project by the Department of Environmental Quality.

Country Club Dry Cleaners applied for the funds under the Small Business Pollution Prevention Loan Program.  The program is part of the Clean Michigan Initiative, a $675 million environmental bond proposed by Gov. John Engler and overwhelmingly approved by voters in 1998.

“Businesses are always looking for ways to get tighter controls on costs,” said DEQ Director Russell Harding.  “The good news for the environment is that significant cost savings can be achieved by reducing the waste that businesses produce.”

The company will upgrade its dry-cleaning equipment, which results in less hazardous waste, less energy and water usage, and significant reductions in the use of the hazardous cleaning solvent perchloroethylene, or “perc.”

“With this new equipment we expect to reduce our perc usage by 75 percent, our waste by over 80 percent, and our solvent waste by 50 percent,” said Gwen Roggow, owner of Country Club Dry Cleaners.  “Not only will we save money from reduced solvent purchases and reduced waste disposal, but the below-prime interest rate on the loan through the DEQ’s program will help us save on the loan interest cost as well.”

The DEQ works in partnership with the company and its local bank.  The DEQ’s Clean Michigan Initiative fund and the participating lending institution each fund half of the loan.  In this instance, Bank One of Saginaw is participating in the loan.

Businesses with fewer than 100 employees can apply for loans of up to $100,000 with a guaranteed interest rate of not more than 5 percent.  The short application helps businesses describe how their project will eliminate or reduce waste through source reduction or environmentally sound reuse or recycling, including water and energy conservation.

Loans are available to all private business sectors, including farming, manufacturing, retail and service.

For more information, contact the DEQ’s Environmental Assistance Division at 1‑800-662-9278.