Joint Patrol Of Lead Paint Feds, North Dakota Department Of Health Hits Streets Of Fargo, Bismarck; Shake Monetary Penalties Out Of Three Contractors For Failing To Comply With Rules Regulating Renovation Of Pre-1978-Built Homes

From the Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Denver, Colorado):

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached agreements with three North Dakota home renovation companies, JH & JH Properties, Clooten Siding & Window, and Buechler Construction, to resolve alleged violations of the lead-based paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP Rule). The settlements are the result of joint inspections EPA conducted with the North Dakota Department of Health in 2015 to evaluate compliance with the rule at job sites throughout Fargo and Bismarck.
  
  The RRP Rule protects the public from toxic lead hazards created by renovation activities involving lead-based paint and requires the certification of individuals and firms who are involved in these activities. Contractors working on homes built prior to 1978 must test for lead in paint, or presume lead is present, and apply applicable lead-safe work practices to minimize the risk of exposure.
  
  “Lead-based paint is a significant source of lead poisoning for children,” said Suzanne Bohan, director of EPA’s regional enforcement program. “These settlements reflect EPA’s commitment to take action against companies that fail to take the necessary steps to educate residents and minimize exposure.”
  
  Under the terms of the settlements, JH & JH Properties (Fargo) will pay $2,000, Clooten Siding & Window (Bismarck) will pay $2,800, and Buechler Construction (Bismarck) will pay $2,100 to resolve alleged violations.
  
  These include conducting work on homes built before 1978 without being an EPA RRP-certified firm; failure to inform property owners and the public of potential lead hazards; failure to have a properly trained RRP-certified renovator assigned to the project; inadequate records demonstrating RRP compliance; and, the failure to follow lead-safe work practices to minimize potential exposure.
  
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  Despite its ban from the U.S. in 1978, EPA estimates that lead-based paint is still present in more than 30 million homes across the nation.

Source: Contractors fined for not following EPA lead-safe requirements on home renovation projects in North Dakota (Companies resolve alleged violations of EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule).

Go here for Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule Frequently Asked Questions.

Go here for the federal Renovate Right brochure that landlords and contractors are required to give to tenants before renovating more than six square feet of painted surfaces in a room for interior projects or more than twenty square feet of painted surfaces for exterior projects or window replacement or demolition in housing, child care facilities and schools built before 1978.

Go here for EPA Lead Paint Renovation Compliance Guide for landlords, property managers, contractors, and maintenance personnel working in homes, schools, and child-occupied facilities built before 1978.

Violations of the lead based paint RRP Rule regulations can be reported to EPA here.