By Judy Sheahan
April 5, 2010

A new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule goes into effect on April 22 that, according to EPA, would “require all contractors (including renovation, repair and painting workers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC professionals, etc.) working in pre-1978 homes, schools and child-care facilities to be EPA certified and trained in lead'safe work practices.” This work includes renovation, repair and painting activities that will disturb more than six square feet of painted surfaces on the interior of a building or more than 20 square feet on the exterior. Window replacements are included in this new rule and weatherization activities and component replacement could also be included.

The major requirement is that all renovators are trained either by EPA or by a certified state agency, in lead'safe work practices. The four basic practices include the following:

• Containment of the work area and the lead paint dust;

• Minimize the generation of lead paint dust;

• Clean area with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate absorbing) vacuum or with a “wet” technique; and

• Cleaning verification with a “white glove test.”

Local governments and their workers are not exempt from this requirement. If the local government uses its own employees to do the work, the local government must be a certified firm and at least one of the employees assigned to each job must be a certified renovator. If a city contracts out this work, they must hire a contractor who has been EPA or state certified.

For more information about this new rule, visit the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm