EDMONTON — An Edmonton dry cleaner has been given house arrest for using a toxic substance in his business.
Environment Canada says it’s the first time a dry cleaner has been given jail time for violating the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
Ali Khair-Eldin, owner of First Class Cleaners and Todd Cleaners, pleaded guilty to unlawfully importing and using tetracholorethylene, also known as perc.
The synthetic chemical, used as a dry-cleaning and metal-cleaning solvent, is listed as a toxic substance by the government and is no longer produced in Canada.
Health Canada says long-term exposure can cause neurological, liver, kidney and reproductive damage and has been linked in studies to cancer in animals.
A judge gave Eldin, who is 69, a four-month conditional sentence to be served under house arrest for the first 75 days, followed by a curfew.
He must also complete 60 hours of community service and write an article in a dry-cleaning industry magazine about his crime.
Environment Canada says Eldin had two previous convictions for dry-cleaning-related offences. There have been six other convictions against dry cleaners in Canada in the past two years.
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