New EPA RRP Lead Rule Offers More Protection To Homeowners And Tenants

March 11, 2010 - PRLog -- (Stamford, CT)……………..Families with young children have a new reason to celebrate Earth Day 2010 on April 22. That’s the day the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new Lead-Based Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) takes effect. Contractors now have to become U.S. EPA-Accredited Renovators, trained in Lead-Safe Work Practices, to work on homes, child care facilities, and schools built prior to 1978, when lead-based paint was banned from residential use. The rule applies to a broad category of tradesman who might disturb lead-painted surfaces through sanding, sawing, and demolition, This group includes painters, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, heating & air conditioning installers, window installers, and maintenance workers, among others. What’s more, landlords and property managers are required to learn the new rules too, to make sure all RRP work on their properties meet the EPA standard.

The new rule does not apply to do-it-yourself home repairs, but if you hire a contractor, the contractor must:

•   Notify homeowners of the likely presence of lead and give them a copy of the EPA pamphlet, “Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools.”
•   Be a U.S. EPA-Accredited Renovator who has attended an eight-hour training course offered by an EPA-accredited training provider
•   Adhere to Lead-Safe Work Practices, including minimizing airborne lead dust, containing the work area, and conducting a thorough cleanup of the area at the end of each day.

Homeowners may find it difficult to locate a U.S. EPA-Accredited Renovator because many contractors are not aware of this new requirement and have not been certified, notes Gene Burch, a Licensed Lead Inspector, Lead Risk Assessor, Lead Abatement Planner, and U.S. EPA-Accredited RRP Renovator Instructor with RTK Environmental Group with offices in Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. “This regulation was introduced without much publicity, and now contractors may face large penalties of as much as $32,500 per violation, plus possible prison time for improper work on homes, day care centers, and schools built prior to 1978,” he says.

To comply with the new regulation, contractors must have at least one U.S. EPA Lead Certified Renovator working or supervising a job site. Certified renovators must attend an eight-hour training session offered by an EPA-accredited training provider. Mr. Burch is one of just a handful of EPA-accredited trainers teaching the course in the region. The class combines instruction with actual hands-on exercises. Students learn to minimize dust by misting surfaces before sanding, scraping, drilling, and cutting, and to pry and pull apart materials instead of pounding and hammering them. Students also are taught that when on the job, they are required to clean the work area using HEPA-filtered vacuum cleaners and clean all tools and equipment each day. Before leaving the renovation site, they must change out of their work clothes, and warn families to stay out of the work area.

Such extreme caution is justified. “Lead poisoning in children is most often caused by ingesting lead dust and adults are most often poisoned by breathing in lead dust, so the objective is to reduce and eliminate dust as you work,” explains Mr. Burch. According to the EPA, lead poisoning affects more than 300,000 children under the age of six in the United States. Lead is so toxic it can damage a child’s kidneys and central nervous system. Even ingesting small doses of lead can reduce IQ and physical growth, impair hearing, and cause behavioral problems.

David Grecco of Carpentry & Handyman Concepts, LLC, Norwalk, CT, has repaired and renovated many older homes over the years, but notes “I didn’t know much about lead, and the importance of cleaning up all your debris and dust.” He attended an RTK training course in Stamford to limit his exposure to liability, but he realizes the lead-safe work practices he has learned are necessary “to protect my customers and their kids from getting sick.”

To learn more about potential lead hazards in your home, homeowners can call RTK Environmental at 1-800-392-6468 or email gburch@rtkenvironmental.com.

About RTK Environmental Group
RTK Environmental Group, with offices in Stamford, CT; Newington, CT; Boston, MA; and New York City, is one of the most trusted environmental testing service firms in the Northeast. It has provided testing services to more than 20,000 commercial and residential customers, ranging from homeowners and real estate investors to medical centers and housing authorities and many others. In addition to mold, lead, indoor-air quality, and asbestos testing, RTK expanded its services to perform energy and maintenance audits and EPA lead safety training. Company professionals are certified, licensed, and fully insured. The public is invited to visit www.rtkenvironmental.com or call 1-800-392-6468 to set up an inspection.