EPA Warns Contractors to Get Certified Under the Federal Lead Renovator Rules

WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 4, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — If you are performing construction work for pay in a home, apartment, or child-occupied facility built before 1978, you MUST be certified and use lead safe work practices unless you prove through testing that the job will not disturb lead paint. These and other requirements are part of a federal regulatory program called the “Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (LRRP)” rule.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) believes that far too many firms are not complying with the LRRP requirements; a violation could cost you $37,500 per day. EPA recently mailed out “warning postcards” to companies it believes to be operating in violation of LRRP rule’s certification provisions.  Click here for AGC’s Fact Sheet on what the LRRP rule requires.

US EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (LRRP) rule took full effect in 2010. Since that time, well over 100,000 firms have been lead-safe certified by EPA, and an additional 20,000 have been certified in twelve authorized states.  Approximately 450,000 renovators have been trained by accredited training providers in lead-safe work practices.  However, according to EPA, too many firms are still operating without the required certification, not following lead-safe work practices and may be putting children and others at risk for lead exposure.

In November 2012, EPA announced 16 enforcement actions for violations of the LRRP rule and EPA continues to conduct compliance monitoring inspections and outreach to prevent exposure to lead dust.  To raise industry awareness, in January 2013, EPA began mailing the abovementioned “warning postcards” [http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/postcard.pdf].  EPA said it focused its mailing in target states where EPA administers the LRRP program (nearly the entire country) and where there is a significant amount of older housing.  EPA admittedly wants to level the playing field for those contractors who are already certified.

EPA has specifically targeted uncertified contractors for this mailing and made best efforts to exclude certified contractors.

Make sure you are meeting EPA’s LRRP requirements.  If you are not, it could cost you thousands of dollars in fines.  Click here for AGC’s Fact Sheet on what the LRRP rule requires.  For more information, visit EPA’s website at http://www.epa.gov/lead/rrp/index.html or contact the National Lead Information Center at http://www.epa.gov/lead/nlic.html or 1-800-424-LEAD (5323).

If you have additional questions, contact Leah Pilconis, Senior Environmental Advisor to AGC, at ">.