Posted by: Tamela Adamson-McMullen

As the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) approaches the one-year mark, industry reviews are mixed.

Sure, everyone wants to make housing safer for children and their families. But there have been a lot of changes in the rule, according to some sources, that have resulted in a lot of confusion and cost for contractors.

Effective April 22 of last year, the rule impacts contractors who perform work in homes, child-care facilities or schools built before 1978. Those contractors must now be certified through an intensive eight-hour training course at training facilities approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The training is designed to ensure that contractors follow strict work practices to control lead-paint dust during renovation. Non-complying contractors face stiff fines and penalties which, by some estimates, could exceed $37,500 per day. (more…)