A new rule by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates that all renovation and repair contractors working in pre-1978 homes, schools, and day care centers who disrupt more than six square feet of lead paint are required to become EPA Certified in lead-safe work practices. Contractors are required to take a one-day training course and firms must send a short application to the EPA. If not, they could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines in the future.
Steve Owens, Assistant Administrator of the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said there is a simple reason for the new rule: protecting people's health, especially children.
"Childhood lead poisoning is a preventable disease, and our goal is to eliminate it," said Steve Owens.
Many contractors think the issue of lead paint poisoning went away years ago, or that they are doing all that needs to be done to avoid it. But lead paint poisoning isn't just about eating paint chips, and even contractors who think they are doing a good job may not be working in a lead-safe manner. In fact, new research shows that contractors like plumbers, electricians, painters and window replacement experts can inadvertently expose children to harmful levels of lead from invisible dust disturbed during jobs they perform every day.
"The greatest risk is for young children living in homes during renovations," said Owens. "One study found they were 30% more likely to have unsafe levels of lead in their blood than kids in homes where renovations were not occurring. So it's very important that contractors learn how to work lead-safe and that families hire leadsafe certified contractors."