S. California Contractor To Pay $11K+ To Settle EPA Accusations That It Failed To Comply w/ Federal Lead Paint Rules When Renovating Five Pre-1978-Built Homes

From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Los Angeles, California):

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Powerstar Home Energy Solutions for failing to comply with federal lead-based paint rules at several residential properties in Southern California. The company will pay a civil penalty of $11,429.
  
  Powerstar has also agreed to spend about $34,000 to purchase equipment to test blood lead levels in children. Blood lead analyzers will be donated to ten community health clinics in San Bernardino and Orange counties. The analyzers measure lead in blood samples and give results in as little as three minutes, allowing immediate follow-up by health care providers. The clinics will receive enough kits to test 480 children.
  
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  Powerstar Home Energy Solutions, a trade name of Smithlum & Friend, Inc., is headquartered in Anaheim and offers residential coatings and window replacements.
  
  In 2014, EPA found the company violated EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting rule by renovating five homes built before 1978 in the cities of Anaheim, Brea, Chino and Redlands without following practices required to reduce lead exposure. The company failed to:

• Become certified by EPA to perform residential work;

• Distribute the “Renovate Right” brochure to educate occupants about lead-safe work practices;

• Keep complete records documenting whether the work followed lead-safe practices.

• Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips. When companies fail to follow lead-safe practices, the resulting lead dust and chips can contaminate home surfaces. Contractors who disturb painted surfaces in pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities must be trained and certified, provide educational materials to residents, and follow safe work practices. The U.S. banned lead-based paint from housing in 1978 but EPA estimates that more than 37 million older homes in the U.S. still have lead-based paint.

Source: U.S. EPA settles with Anaheim home improvement firm for failure to protect residents from lead-based paint (Company to provide blood lead testing equipment to clinics in Orange and San Bernardino Counties).