The Green Cleaners Council counts the many ways a professional dry cleaner can be ‘green’ by providing cleaners and consumers with defined environmental sustainability benchmarks to judge them by.
It is our mission to provide the necessary gravitas, which has been lacking regarding green marketing and greenwashing in the dry cleaning industry. We afford consumers a verifiable mechanism for judging how GREEN their cleaner is, while giving professional cleaners a vehicle to herald their genuine environmental accomplishments and strategies to help them achieve their green goals for the future.
The Council is composed of a broad cross-section of disciplines with an interest in environmental sustainability in the dry cleaning industry. Among those represented are dry cleaning customers, attorneys, engineers and waste management experts, as well as the National Cleaners Association, who in cooperation with concerned consumers, was instrumental in its formation.
JOHN V. SODERBERG, PE, Esq.
Mr. Soderberg is both an environmental attorney and environmental engineer with over 36 years experience in the environmental field. He twice chaired the Environmental Law Committee of the Nassau County Bar Association, as well as the Government Affairs Committee of the New York Water Environment Association, where he regularly led the annual environmental regulatory/legislative update. He advises clients with regard to the regulation of materials including asbestos, PCBs, solvents, hospital and medical waste, hazardous waste, bulk storage tanks, and statutory compliance with RCRA, CERCLA, TSCA, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Wetlands Act, Navigation Law, and SEQRA.
Prior to being affiliated with a full-service law firm for 10 years, he spent twenty years in environmental practice as both an engineer and attorney with the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, where he rose to the position of director of Environmental Enforcement. Mr. Soderberg was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1987 and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York in 1989, and has been licensed to practice engineering in New York State since 1973. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1968, his Master of Science in Civil (Sanitary) Engineering from New York University School of Engineering and Science in 1973 and his Juris Doctor Degree, cum laude, from Touro College School of Law in 1986 where he received the American Jurisprudence, Intellectual Property, and Nathan Burkan writing competition awards.
On a personal note, as a life long Long Island resident and as a result of having a close family member who is a breast cancer survivor, John has been supportive of the 1in9: Long Island Breast Cancer Coalition, which is committed to fighting the cancer epidemic through education, outreach, environmental advocacy, spearheading changes to legislation affecting cancer issues, and continuously raising money to support innovative epidemiological cancer research projects. He is also a long time member of the Sierra Club, Long Islanders for Cleaner Air, and a host of other pro-environmental groups.
Ann Hargrove
In 1995 Ann Hargrove (with 13 years professional dry cleaning experience behind her) participated in the EPA sponsored Greener Cleaner project, the first 100% wetcleaning operation in the United States. In conjunction with the Center for Neighborhood Technology, that received funding from EPA’s Design for the Environment program and the support of Greenpeace and key industry stakeholders, this private / public partnership was charged with the challenge of determining the efficacy of 100% wet cleaning. Ms. Hargrove managed the facility for almost two years and was instrumental in the development of the programs, chemistry and techniques that have become the cornerstone of modern day wetcleaning. Her experience at the Greener Cleaner led to her role as industry consultant and icon affectionately known as the First Lady of Wet cleaning. Subsequently Ann held the post of Executive Director of the Professional Wet Cleaners Network, as well as a similar position with the National Coalition of Petroleum Dry Cleaners. In 2000, she joined the staff of the National Cleaners Association as Director of Special Projects, where she continues to advocate for the advancement of wetcleaning technologies and acts as the preeminent industry wetcleaning consultant and trainer.
Michael D. Tatch
Mr. Tatch holds a Masters in Business Administration in Industrial Management from the University of Akron, Akron, Ohio and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering/ Nuclear Engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, New York.
After 20 years experience in field construction, and design engineering within the Nuclear Power and Navy Nuclear Industries, Mr. Tatch left the field of power utilities to establish his own consulting firm, Tatch Technical Services specializing in health, safety and environmental management and training for the drycleaning, printing, and dental industries, as well as chemical distributors/manufacturers and municipal governments.
TTS is the audit/inspection agency for Fireman’s Fund and Homestead Insurance Companies, evaluating candidates for Environmental Insurance. TTS has prepared Material Safety Data Sheets for both domestic and international organizations that provide and distribute halogenated alkenes. Mr. Tatch has provided expert opinions regarding the relationship between current environmental conditions and past site activities utilizing halogenated chemicals such as VC, DCE, TCE and PCE. Mr. Tatch has completed investigations for Fortune 100 Companies regarding the historical recreation of plant operations and use of toxic chemicals.
Mr. Tatch’s unique and diverse background qualifies him to assess both good environmental stewardship practices in a drycleaning facility and energy conservation technologies as well.