Federal Lead Paint Police Continue Its Public 'Outreach' Activities, Putting The Arm On Two Contractors For At Least $18K Each For Alleged Violations Of Rules Regulating Renovations, Exterior Paint Removal Involving Pre-1978-Built Homes

From the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA Region 8 - Denver, Colorado):

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today [February 14] announced settlements with two Denver-area contractors as part of an ongoing initiative to protect residents of northeast Denver communities from toxic lead paint hazards during home renovations.
  
  According to the first settlement, Solid Ground Homes, LLC has agreed to pay a penalty of $18,000 to resolve allegations the firm performed a renovation on a pre-1978 home in northeast Denver without being EPA lead-safe certified and without performing several lead-safe work practices required by the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP Rule). These requirements prevent and minimize the release of lead-contaminated dust and debris.
  
  The second settlement alleges that Lime Painting, LLC performed exterior paint removal on a pre-1978 home in northeast Denver using prohibited power sanding and grinding operations without being an EPA lead-safe certified firm and without following lead-safe work practices. The firm has agreed to a penalty of $19,950 to settle the alleged violations. Both Solid Ground Homes and Lime Painting have since secured lead-safe firm certification.
  
  Despite its ban from use in 1978, EPA estimates that lead-based paint is still present in more than 30 million homes in the U.S. When lead paint is disturbed during home renovations, proper work practices prevent toxic lead exposure to the home’s occupants. Infants, children, and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to lead paint exposure, which can, even at low levels, cause lifelong impacts such as developmental impairment, learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, hyperactivity and behavioral problems.
  
  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 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 to lead.
  
  EPA’s public outreach, compliance assistance, and enforcement activity is intended to increase awareness of RRP rule requirements among both contractors and residents and create a strong deterrent for violators of the rule. Since the launch of the northeast Denver initiative in 2015, EPA has conducted outreach activities and inspected dozens of jobsites in the Five Points, Cole, Clayton, Whittier, Skyland and Park Hill neighborhoods. In addition to the settlements announced today, EPA has also issued more than 15 Notices of Noncompliance to contractors based on inspections of individual jobsites. The agency will continue to evaluate compliance associated with these inspections and pursue enforcement action when appropriate.
  
  For more information on lead or the RRP Rule requirements.
  
  Violations of the RRP Rule can be reported online ... 

Source: Northeast Denver initiative resolves alleged violations of lead-safe home renovation requirements (Solid Ground Homes, LLC and Lime Painting, LLC settle alleged violations of EPA's Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule).