new lead-base paint rules – safety at a price

i wrote the following for the june issue of the grubb co. newsletter. written and produced by yours truly, the newsletter goes out to as many as 15,000 homeowners every other month.

as of april 22, 2010, the lead renovation, repair and painting rule (LRRP) requires that all contractors and handyman services who work in homes, child care facilities and schools with lead-base paint become certified in providing a lead-safe work environment. intended to protect homeowners, building owners and residents against the dangers of lead in paint, dust, and soil, the new law comes into play when work will impact six square feet or more of interior painting, or more than twenty square feet of exterior painting. any area worked on in a pre-1978 building must be sealed off, dust minimized and cleanup done by wet mopping and hepa vacuuming. the epa warns residents, you may even want to move out of your home while all or parts of the work are being done.

the law has raised an equal number of concerns about costs, timing, and consequences. contractors have been slow to embrace the rule, pointing to a lack of consumer awareness and the potential for soaring compliance costs as major flaws. some predict that the costs of implementing the LRRP will discourage home renovation in favor of new construction.

vendors are required to be epa-certified, assign a certified renovator to be present at each project, and provide required documentation about lead and the LRRP prior to the start of each project. failure to comply with the ruling could result in fines up to $37,500 a day. that said, the epa’s only method of enforcement is to investigate tips and complaints made to its hotline, 800-424-lead. homeowners aren’t covered in the ruling, but given the hazards of lead-paint poisoning may want to re-consider doing work themselves… or using vendors willing to ignore the law.

a bipartisan group of senators has introduced an amendment to the fiscal year 2010 emergency supplemental appropriations bill to provide small contractors with more time to receive the training mandated by the LRRP, citing an insufficient number of epa trainers to provide timely implementation, and the potentially crippling financial effects of the rule for small businesses.

certified vendors can by found online at the epa website, at http://is.gd/cs4ud.

i don’t think people know about this, or have digested the repercussions. this will affect anyone remodeling or getting ready to list their home for sale, and is one more item for the ‘everything is getting more expensive’ list.

i am amazed that this law was enacted… and i’m glad i’m not a painter.