More than half of U.S. homes could soon be affected by a little-known federal rule to reduce lead exposure.
On April 22, the Environmental Protection Agency will begin requiring that contractors who work on pre-1978 homes be certified in lead-safe practices or face daily fines of up to $37,500.
"We want people to take it seriously," the EPA's Wendy Hamnett says about the new rule to reduce lead-caused health problems. It will apply to plumbers, carpenters and other remodelers if their work disturbs lead-based paint. Fines apply to untrained workers, not the homeowners who hire them.
"It is a huge step forward. It's long overdue," says Rebecca Morley of the National Center for Healthy Housing, a private group.
Most people don't know about the rule, and the EPA should have done a better job at informing them, Morley says.
Many remodelers haven't been certified, and homeowners may unknowingly hire less expensive untrained workers, says Matt Watkins of the National Association of Home Builders.
"We're doing everything we can to make people aware of this," Hamnett says.
The EPA is rolling out ads later this month to explain the rule and lead's health hazards. The rule applies to all homes built before lead paint was banned in 1978 unless contractors can show, using an EPA-approved test, that the job area doesn't contain lead. Of 129 million U.S. housing units, 76.5 million were built before 1980, according to the Census Bureau.
Hamnett says 38 million homes, half of pre-1978 homes, have lead. She says the EPA has certified 100,000 workers to handle lead and expects to train 25,000 more by April 22.
That's not enough, says Watkins, citing a recent Harvard University study that says there are up to 500,000 home remodeling companies. He says the eight-hour training, which the EPA says costs about $200 per worker, is another expense for remodelers in a difficult economy.
The EPA also charges $300 for a five-year certification.
Ron Jones, president of Green Builder Media, which publishes a monthly magazine, says a lead-certified builder recently lost a $250,000 job because he was charging more than an untrained competitor. He says the people most likely to be affected by lead -- those in old homes with chipping paint -- may be the least able to afford certified workers.
"It's kind of a Catch-22," Jones says. If the EPA enforces the rule, though, certified workers shouldn't be at a disadvantage, he says.
The EPA estimates that lead-safe practices, such as sealing off a work area to avoid spreading lead dust, could add $8 to $167 to most interior jobs.
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