EPA Takes Action Against Violators of the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule

Today, EPA announced 17 enforcement actions for violations of the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule (RRP).

The RRP rule protects homeowners and tenants from dangerous lead dust that can be left behind after common renovation, repair, and painting work. It requires that contractors and subcontractors be properly trained and certified, and use lead-safe work practices to ensure that lead dust is minimized. Lead exposure can cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities to seizures and death, putting young children at the greatest risk because their nervous systems are still developing. 

“Using lead-safe work practices is good business and it’s the law,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “EPA is taking action to enforce lead rules to protect people from exposure to lead and to ensure a level playing field for contractors that follow the rules.”

The enforcement actions address serious violations of the RRP rule, including fourteen actions where the contractor failed to obtain certification prior to performing or offering to perform renovation activities on pre-1978 homes, where lead is more likely to be present. Other alleged violations included failure to follow the lead-safe work practices, which are critical to reducing exposure to lead-based paint hazards.

The 17 enforcement actions listed below include 14 administrative settlements assessing civil penalties of up to $23,000. These settlements also required the contractors to certify that they had come into compliance with the requirements of the RRP rule. Additionally, EPA filed three administrative complaints seeking civil penalties of up to the statutory maximum of $37,500 per violation. As required by the Toxic Substances Control Act, a company or individual’s ability to pay a penalty is evaluated and penalties are adjusted accordingly.

Enforcement actions:

•    Groeller Painting, Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri.
•    Albracht Permasiding and Window, Co. of Omaha, Nebraska.
•    Midwest College Painters, LLC of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
•    ARK Property Investments, LLC of Richmond, Indiana.
•    Henderson & Associates Services of Largo, Florida.
•    Home Resources Management, LLC of Columbia, Tennessee.
•    Camaj Interiors & Exteriors of Jacksonville, Florida.
•    Cherokee Home Improvements, LLC of Church Creek, Maryland.
•    Window World of Harford located in Belair, Maryland.  
•    EA Construction and General Contracting of West Chester, Pennsylvania.
•    Roman Builders of Morton, Pennsylvania.  
•    Accolade Construction Group, Inc. of New York, New York.
•    PZ Painting of Springfield, New Jersey.  
•    Creative Renovations of Brooklyn, New York.
•    Reeson Construction of Webster, New Hampshire.
•    New Hampshire Plate Glass Corporation of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
•    CM Rogers Handyman of Manchester, New Hampshire. 

US company identified as manufacture of lead paint in Africa

House paint containing dangerous concentrations of lead is being sold in Cameroon by an American company – and the company is refusing to remove the paint from store shelves.

"There is an immediate need for regulations to restrict the lead content of paint in Cameroon to protect public health," said Perry Gottesfeld, Executive Director of Occupational Knowledge International (OK International) and co-author of a new research study about this lead hazard.

"The levels of lead are extraordinarily high, and these products have been banned in the U.S. for more than 30 years," Gottesfeld said.

The study, in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene revealed lead concentrations are as high as 50 percent by weight in household paint being sold by Cameroon's largest paint company, Seignerurie – a subsidiary of the U.S. Company PPG. This concentration is more than 5,000 times the allowable limit in the U.S.

Lead is added to paint because it is inexpensive way to add color, resist corrosion, or to improve the drying.

The research was jointly conducted by OK International and the Research and Education Centre for Development (CREPD) and involved samples from dozens of stores. Results showed that two-thirds (66%) of new paints in Cameroon made by more than ten companies had hazardous lead levels in excess of 90 parts per million (ppm). The researchers also found that none of the lead paints surveyed in stores had any hazard warnings while only 8% of the paints had labels identifying any of the ingredients. The new study is the first one which provides the names of paint companies and the lead concentrations for all 61 paints tested.

"This is the ultimate case of a company operating with double standards as they sell hazardous products in developing countries that have been banned in the U.S. since the 1970s," Gottesfeld added.

As a result of this research, consumers in Cameroon are being warned to avoid purchasing paints unless the cans are labeled with as having no added lead. Most of the paint available in the market contains hazardous levels of lead that causes birth defects, brain damage, high blood pressure, and other health effects in both children and adults.

CREPD is issuing a warning following the results of a recent survey showing that most of the new paints being sold in stores still contain lead at excessive levels despite pledges by some paint companies to reformulate.

"The problem we are seeing is that the older paint is still in stores because none of the companies have recalled products with hazardous levels of lead," said Gilbert KUEPOUO, Coordinator of CREPD. "As a result, we are asking consumers to look for labels that indicate that lead levels are less than 90 parts per million (PPM) as required in the U.S., China, and other countries."

PPG sent a letter to some of the distributors offering to exchange some products, but few responded.

CREPD recently interviewed the managers of the 11 stores that sell Seigneurie paints and identified only three that had returned products based on the companies offer. There are no regulations regarding the lead content of new paints in Cameroon.

The World Health Organization estimates that 240 million people around the world are overexposed to lead contamination and 99 percent of those most severely exposed reside in developing countries. Lead paint in housing contributes significantly to children's exposure resulting in brain damage, mental retardation, lower educational performance, and a range of other health effects.

Agency clamps down on lead work violators

Lead rules need to be enforced to protect workers and
homeowners as well as children, the EPA says.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced three enforcement actions for violators of the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) as well as other important rules.

The rule has been put in place to protect workers from lead exposure during renovation activities like sanding, cutting and demolition. Inhaling lead dust has been linked to human health problems.

Lead exposure can cause behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures and even death and young children are particularly at risk because their bodies and nervous systems are still developing.

The rule took effect on April 22, 2010, and now administrators are looking for ways to enforce it to protect workers and children from hazardous lead dust.

Lead was a common ingredient in paints used before the 1950s and could therefore still be present in older homes and buildings.

Workers could be exposed to lead when removing old paint from a building’s exterior, for example, and by not properly containing the dust, it could also get into neighboring homes and contaminate the ground.

Home repair companies and contractors are required to train workers under the rule and make sure people understand the dangers of lead and ways to protect themselves.

The EPA will evaluate a company or individual’s ability to pay a penalty and adjust it accordingly.

Source: EPA

Indoor air quality during renovations: A serious concern

Portable air cleaners can be moved
easily from one site to the next.

Renovations can expose workers and residents to a host of pollutants, not only lead dust, but also asbestos fibers, mold spores, chemicals, construction dust and more.

It is very important to deal up the portions of a home undergoing renovations and to make sure that the pollutants are contained.

Many companies and contractors will work with personal protective equipment, strong vacuums and air cleaners to help reduce exposure.

Electrocorp’s air cleaners for industrial and commercial applications contain a multistage filtration system with activated carbon and HEPA that can remove the widest range of indoor air pollutants.

The units can be used for positive or negative pressure environments to contain potentially harmful contaminants.

For more information and a recommendation of units, contact Electrocorp.
  

A great idea: State grants that help address health hazards in homes

Almost all homes have some kind of
indoor air quality concern.

The Minnesota Department of Health has awarded a quarter of a million dollars to seven health agencies in order to reach out to homeowners about health hazards in the home.

The initiative hopes to raise awareness of common indoor health hazards such as:

• Lead
• Radon
• Indoor air pollutants such as tobacco smoke

The funds are supposed to support local efforts  to encourage prevention activities as well as providing guidance and support.

The program builds on another initiative that is already addressing lead poisoning prevention for people moist likely to be exposed.

It was expanded because many homes that have one type of health hazard also suffer from other indoor air pollution issues, officials say.

The grants are set up to help target high-risk population groups, including young children, low-income and minorities, the elderly and areas with high levels of radon or lead hazards.

The local agencies that received a grant will set up healthy home networks in their communities consisting of professional staff, community members and other members.

The goal is to raise awareness of indoor air quality issues and to help people get healthy homes for a healthy population.

Source: Echo Press

Air cleaners for IAQ concerns

Electrocorp has designed industrial-grade air cleaners for a wide range of industry applications, including mold and asbestos abatement, construction, environmental consulting and more.

The air cleaners are equipped with a multistage filtration system featuring activated carbon and HEPA, capable of removing the widest range of indoor air contaminants (including chemicals, gases, odors, particles, pathogens and more).

For more information, contact Electrocorp: 866-667-0297.

Avoid release of toxic substances during home energy retrofits, renovations, experts urge

Lead-based paint in older homes
constitutes a health risk.

Without adequate training and precaution, renovators, energy retrofitters and do-it-yourselfers who disturb lead-based paint, asbestos insulation and other toxic materials in older buildings put the health of all — especially children — living there at risk of serious health impacts.

Lead exposure can lead to lowered intelligence and worse; asbestos exposure can potentially lead to debilitating long term illness, and certain materials used in renovation can increase other health risks, experts warn in a new report by the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA).

“Many families in Canada struggle with high energy costs and retrofits help ease the financial burden while aiding the fight against climate change,” says CELA Executive Director Theresa McClenaghan.
“Retrofits, done right, will also make these families’ homes healthier and prevent health problems known to result from mould or inadequate heating and ventilation. Unless care is taken to avoid the release of toxic chemicals and ensure proper ventilation, however, such renovations can create serious health risks, especially for children.”

Report outlines greatest dangers in home retrofitting

The report, “Healthy Retrofits: The Case for Better Integration of Children’s Environmental Health Protection into Energy Efficiency Programs,” offers recommendations for improvement in several areas, including the coverage and design of government energy efficiency incentive programs and policies, the training of energy auditors, the education of contractors and public awareness of the issues.

The main concerns in home renovations were:

-    Lead. Lead was widely used in lead paints and can make its way into the air during renovation work.
-    Asbestos. Asbestos is a known carcinogen for which, like lead, there is no safe exposure level. Disturbing asbestos-containing materials can release microscopic fibres into the air.
-    PCBs. Buildings constructed or renovated in Canada between 1950 and 1978 may also have Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)-contaminated caulk around windows and door frames and in other masonry building materials. PCBs cause cancer in animals.


Choosing healthy building materials
The report notes that sealing and tightening a building to improve energy efficiency can reduce air exchange, resulting in more concentrated levels of indoor pollutants and potential health troubles.

New building materials such as such as caulking, sealants, glues and insulation that contain volatile organic compounds can off-gas or release toxic chemicals such as benzene, toluene and formaldehyde.

Recent studies have shown that the risk of asthma and respiratory diseases increases in infants or children exposed to formaldehyde or particleboard with formaldehyde-based glues, phthalates or plastic materials and paint fumes.

Polystyrene insulation material also carries potential health risks. It is manufactured by combining two carcinogens, ethylene and benzene, to produce ethylbenzene, which then forms styrene. Polystyrene often contains the flame retardant, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), a long-lasting compound associated with decreased fertility and effects on the thyroid gland.


Seek out information before starting renovations

• The US EPA offers a free handbook, “Renovate Right”
• The Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment has a Safe Renovations Fact Sheet Series that will be augmented with additional educational materials as the Healthy Retrofits project moves forward. For more information, go to www.healthyenvironmentforkids.ca

Editor’s note: This release has been edited. Read the full public release.

Source: EurekAlert Science News