Dryclean / Superfund Unit

The Dryclean / Superfund Unit manages the Kansas Dry Cleaning and Superfund Programs and provides technical guidance for the Kansas Natural Resources Damages, Kansas Clandestine Drug Lab Information, and Kansas Meth Watch Programs.

Kansas Dry Cleaning Program

The Kansas Dry Cleaning Program was created by the Drycleaner Environmental Response Act (DERA) (PDF) in July 1995. The program regulates existing dry cleaning facilities and provides corrective action at contaminated sites.

Dry cleaning facilities complete an annual registration and implement pollution prevention and waste management measures. Random inspections are conducted to ensure compliance with DERA.

The Kansas Dry Cleaning Facility Release Trust Fund provides financial assistance to owners or operators of contaminated existing and former drycleaning facilities that require an environmental assessment and corrective action. This unit manages the state-level corrective action and utilizes an environmental consultant to conduct the assessments and corrective actions. The fund may also reimburse some past costs related to corrective action at prioritized sites. The trust fund is financed by a gross receipts fee on drycleaning and laundry services, a solvent fee on drycleaning solvents, and the annual registration fee paid by the drycleaning facilities.

Kansas Superfund Program

The Kansas Superfund Program provides state oversight of sites on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Priorities List and under the EPA Superfund Removal Program through a Superfund Assistance Cooperative Agreement (SACA). The Kansas Superfund Program is funded by and coordinates closely with the EPA. KDHE project managers provide technical expertise and field oversight of federal investigations and cleanups and communicate state priorities and regulatory positions to the EPA.

Natural Resource Damage Assessment & Restoration Program

The Kansas Natural Resource Damages (NRD) program, based primarily upon authority vested in the federal Superfund law, is charged with assessing injuries to and restoring public natural resources that have been injured by environmental hazards such as oil discharges and hazardous substances releases. The designated State of Kansas Trustee for natural resources at KDHE seeks to restore damaged resources in cooperation with the responsible parties. The Dryclean/Superfund Unit provides primary technical and administrative support to the Kansas Trustee for NRD actions.