EPA Lead Rules Now In Effect
Both companies and their employees performing most types of contracting work on any home, apartment or child-occupied facility built before 1978 now need to be certified.
The EPA's "Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule" is the second phase of regulations introduced in 2008.
"Renovation" is defined quite broadly in the regulations. Exceptions are made for repair and maintenance that disturbs less than 6 square feet of paint per room inside or less than 20 square feet outside, and for areas already certified as lead-free. For any window replacement or projects involving demolition, the area disturbed doesn't matter. Certification is required for all such work. The rule also applies to any residing project of 20 square feet or more.
Companies must be certified by the EPA before conducting any work covered by the regulations. The EPA may take up to 90 days to approve a company's certification. Fees vary depending on the type of firm, type of work and number of EPA jurisdictions. The application is available here.
Individual workers supervising a project must become "certified renovators" by completing an eight-hour training course. To find a training opportunity near you, visit these links:
CNY Environmental Institute
Environmental Education Associates
HSE Consulting Services
After becoming certified, companies and workers will be responsible for using lead-safe work practices and maintaining records. Certification lasts for five years.
Violations of the RRP rule may result in fines of up to $32,500 per violation, per day.
The EPA's "Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule" is the second phase of regulations introduced in 2008.
"Renovation" is defined quite broadly in the regulations. Exceptions are made for repair and maintenance that disturbs less than 6 square feet of paint per room inside or less than 20 square feet outside, and for areas already certified as lead-free. For any window replacement or projects involving demolition, the area disturbed doesn't matter. Certification is required for all such work. The rule also applies to any residing project of 20 square feet or more.
Companies must be certified by the EPA before conducting any work covered by the regulations. The EPA may take up to 90 days to approve a company's certification. Fees vary depending on the type of firm, type of work and number of EPA jurisdictions. The application is available here.
Individual workers supervising a project must become "certified renovators" by completing an eight-hour training course. To find a training opportunity near you, visit these links:
CNY Environmental Institute
Environmental Education Associates
HSE Consulting Services
After becoming certified, companies and workers will be responsible for using lead-safe work practices and maintaining records. Certification lasts for five years.
Violations of the RRP rule may result in fines of up to $32,500 per violation, per day.
For additional information on the new rule, visit the EPA's RRP web page. The EPA also has a helpful Q&A section to address a numerous questions from contractors, building owners and others about the rule.
