SEATTLE (May 17, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 announced today that it has penalized GreenBuild Design and Construction, LLC of Anchorage, Alaska, $25,609 for violating the Lead Renovation and Repair Rule, the federal law governing the handling and disposal of lead-based paint.
“Exposure to lead-based paint can cause serious, and sometimes permanent health effects, and children are especially vulnerable,” said Stacy Murphy, Acting Director of EPA Region 10’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “Contractors and renovation firms play an important role in protecting people from exposure to lead and we are committed to ensuring that businesses follow the law.”
The penalty is the result of an investigation that began in 2018 and which showed GreenBuild Design and Construction, LLC violated the federal Toxic Substances Control Act’s Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. The rule aims to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards associated with pre-1978 homes by, among other things, requiring workers to be certified in lead-safe work practices.
EPA found that the company committed the following violations:
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Performing the renovation without certification;
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Failing to ensure that the renovation work was directed by either a certified renovator or by individuals who had been trained by a certified renovator;
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Failing to post warning signs around the work site and;
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Failing to cover the ground with impermeable material to contain lead-contaminated dust and debris created by the renovation work.
EPA initiated its investigation after communicating with GreenBuild multiple times about the requirements of the law. The company applied for multiple renovation permits without the required training and certification, potentially putting homeowners and their families at risk of lead exposure. Certification and training are readily available throughout the country.
EPA filed a complaint alleging these violations and the Administrative Law Judge hearing the case found that “on a number of occasions, from 2015 through 2018, [GreenBuild] failed to respond to correspondence from the Agency and failed to participate in scheduled inspections with EPA, even after promising to attend.” The judge found GreenBuild liable for the violations and assessed the $25,609 penalty.
Although Congress banned residential use of lead-based paint in 1978, it is still present in millions of older homes, sometimes under layers of new paint. Lead exposure can cause behavioral and learning problems, slowed growth, hearing problems and diminished IQ.
from EPA News Releases https://ift.tt/5Rxd6Hb