GBA Logo horizontal Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter X Instagram YouTube Icon Navigation Search Icon Main Search Icon Video Play Icon Plus Icon Minus Icon Picture icon Hamburger Icon Close Icon Sorted
Green Building News

The Scramble for EPA “Lead-Safe” Certification

With the agency’s Renovation, Repair and Painting rule set to take effect in April, a shortage of certification trainers raises concerns. Will certifications ramp up in time for Home Star?

The Environmental Protection Agency announced its Lead Paint: Renovation, Repair and Painting rule – designed to reduce human exposure to lead-paint dust and chips during renovation activities – on April 22, 2008, and its enforcement date was set for exactly two years later.

The two-year lead-in was expected to be long enough to implement a large-scale training and lead-safe certification program for remodelers and installers of any sort who might be disturbing paint in homes built before 1978, when the ban on lead paint began. The EPA estimated that as many as 200,000 people could be certified in that 24 months. Problem is, so far only about 50,000 certifications have been awarded, although another 50,000 are expected to be on record by April 22, an agency official told USA Today’s Green House. The main reason for the lag, say industry groups such as the American Architectural Manufacturers Association and the NAHB Remoders, is that only about 135 training providers have been EPA-approved so far – not enough to meet demand either by remodelers or their prospective clients.

A plea for time and trainers

So now the industry groups are asking the EPA to extend the enforcement deadline and retain, for at least a while longer, an opt-out provision that allows noncompliance with the agency’s Lead Safe Work Practices regulation in homes whose occupants do not include pregnant women or children aged 6 or younger. The regulation would otherwise apply to work that disturbs more than 6 sq. ft. of a home’s interior.

Earlier this week, for example, representatives of the AAMA and other industry groups met with officials from the EPA as well as the White House’s Office of Management and Budget and its Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, noted Glass Magazine, a flat-glass-and-metals-industry publication, which cited a March 17 AAMA press release. White House officials were attentive to industry concerns, according to AAMA’s president and CEO, Rich Walker.

“The eight government officials from EPA, the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs we met with today were receptive to industry feedback and agreed that the time frame is extremely short in order to take action and ensure that the guidelines are feasible,” Walker said in the release.

The Home Star factor

But Walker also noted that, in addition to certification concerns, other forces are at work that could combine to both motivate and worry remodelers – including the AAMA’s constituency of window dealers and installers – if business improves under federal incentive programs such as Home Star. Even if the EPA extends its compliance deadline and certification rates climb appropriately, Walker points out, many dealers and installers may end up paying substantially higher insurance premiums to address potential litigation associated with their work, since much of it likely will focus on very energy-inefficient homes built before 1978.

By some estimates, those higher operating costs could raise the price of a window installation by $60 to $100 per window, Walker added.

Meanwhile, in the ramp-up to whatever enforcement deadline the EPA declares, contractors have been asked to follow common-sense procedures when doing remodeling of any sort: contain the work area, minimize dust, clean up thoroughly.

2 Comments

  1. Expert Member
    ARMANDO COBO | | #1

    We all know many examples of
    We all know many examples of Federal, State and Local industry regulations that get pass with plenty of time before implementation and enforcement and this is no exception. Several years have passed since the EPA passed this regulation and just now many markets industry organizations are getting around offering classes for their members.

    Remember the Clean Water Act, the Stormwater Regulation, the Clean Air Act, Radon, CO2, Green Building, yada, yada, yada… there are thousands of builders convinced Green Building is a fad and it’ll go away soon, eventhough they get to see programs develop, regulations and standards “becoming” code and even ICC developing the IGCC.

    The fact is the building and construction industry are very slow to change their ways and only do so when faced with codes or deadlines and penalties. We only have to look in the mirror to know were the problem is and lets don’t be shocked when fines start flying around.

  2. Anonymous | | #2

    the ecconomy is so bad right
    the ecconomy is so bad right now for window installers they cant afford to be buying all these fancy vacum cleaners that they say we should have seems to me like it a good way to sell vaccums and make money but us little guys are already struggling and if dont have this set up to do work you can not work for companys like home depot that are demanding you do this it there way or you dont work also the big companies dont want the responsibility of beeing fined buy epa they want the little guy to take the fall

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Related

Community

Recent Questions and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |