EPA's rule -14 yrs delayed- comes into force to protect children from leaded paint poisoning during home renovations

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Subject: EPA lead paint rule in force...finally

From: jsass@...

Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:01:16 -0400

EPA's rule -14 yrs

delayed- comes into force to protect children from leaded paint poisoning during

home renovations

Sass

Senior Scientist, Washington, D.C.

Posted April 21, 2010 in Health

and the Environment

On Thursday the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will put into force its long-overdue

lead-safe workpractices rule, called the Lead: Renovation, Repair and

Painting (LRRP) Rule. Yay!

This rule will go a long

long way towards protecting homeowners, their families, and renovators from

harmful exposure to lead-contaminated

paint. (Lead was banned from house paint in 1978, so new homes are not at

risk).

USA Today reported in

2007 on kids getting severely poisoned

from lead paint during home renovations. That report notes that in

1992, 19 years ago, Congress required EPA to write this rule to protect

children, and wanted it finalized it by 1996. Instead it took another decade,

until 2006, for EPA to propose the regulation. And, another four years, until

today, to finalize it!

The LRRP Rule is a

federal law requiring that by April 22, 2010, renovation firms must be

certified in lead-safe work practices and individuals must have completed a

one-day training course in lead-safe work practices; certification is valid for

five years.

EPA finalized its LRRP

rule in 2008 because of continued widespread childhood poisoning from old

leaded paint during renovations and home repairs, but gave renovators another

two years to get certified and in compliance.

More info here on lead paint poisoning.

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/jsass/today_only_18_years_late_epa_r.html

SOURCE: OCC-ENV-MED-L Digest for Wednesday, April 21, 2010