Enforcement of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule has so far yielded three noncompliance claims against contractors, with the first dated May 6.

However, as noted in a summary of a recent webinar presented to remodelers by the National Association of Home Builders, the agency will be stepping up inspections in 2012 and following through on tips likely to lead to enforcement action. Don Lott, associate director of the EPA’s Waste and Chemical Enforcement Division, told webinar participants that the agency already has conducted 1,000 compliance inspections of job sites and contractor-training certifications, as well as audits of records that contractors must keep for projects requiring lead-safe practices.

The RRP rule applies to residential renovation, repair, and painting on properties built before 1978. Contractors, landlords, and property managers are subject to the rule, although individual homeowners and tenants doing work on their personal residence are exempt.

Collecting and culling tips

The EPA is enforcing the rule in all 50 states, although 12 states (Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin) administer the rule on their own.

One indication of the potential scale of enforcement action, NAHB noted, is that the EPA has been receiving an average of 400 tips a month (many of them submitted via the agency’s compliance and enforcement page) and has found that 60% of firms inspected so far have not yet been certified to perform RRP work. NAHB maintainson online database on RRP compliance, training, and certification requirements.

NAHB says members can access for free a recording of the webinar – and download related documents and slides – on the group’s “Webinar Rewinds” page: http://www.nahb.org/product_details.aspx?forSaleID=9068

The material is available to nonmembers for $44.95.