EPA LEAD REQUIREMENTS
EPA Schedule of LRRP Rule Provisions, Development and Implementation
The changes to, and the ongoing legislation surrounding the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rules affect contractors and installers. EPA now requires renovation firms to be EPA-certified, and EPA trainers must complete training classes in lead-safe work practices.
On April 22, 2010, new EPA regulations for renovations, repair and painting involving lead-based paint took effect. Because children six years old and younger are at a higher risk, the EPA expanded the 2008 Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (LRRP) that previously exempted some housing from the rule’s requirement that contractors be trained and certified to use lead-safe work practices in pre-1978 housing.
Within its fiscal year 2012 appropriations report, the EPA has requested a $219,000 budget increase to implement and enforce compliance of the existing Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting (LRRP) Rule and subsequent amendment revoking the “opt-out” provision, and continue the promulgation of the proposed accompanying rules: Clearance, Exterior, and Interior, currently in various stages of review and development. EPA’s time frame on development of the revised provisions was provided within the Appropriations Report and is provided below.
Additionally, the EPA will continue to review and consider revisions to the Lead Dust Standard and lead-levels defining Lead-Based Paint. In 2009, special interest groups including the Sierra Club and the National Center for Healthy Housing filed a petition which seeks to lower the current standard levels for lead dust (the petition seeks to lower the current level from 250 μg/ft2 to 100 μg /ft2 or less for window sills) and modify the definition of lead paint from 0.5 percent by weight (5,000 parts per million (ppm)) to 0.06 percent by weight (600 ppm).
View Details of Rules 1-4
Rule #1: Opt-out Rule
Rule #2: Clearance Rule
Extend LRRP to Public and Commercial Buildings
Rule #3: Exterior Rule
Rule #4: Interior Rule
Revisit the Lead Dust Standard and Definition of Lead-Based Paint
On August 10, 2009, EPA received a TSCA Section 21 petition requesting the Agency to lower lead dust hazard standards and to modify the definition of lead-based paint in its regulations promulgated under sections 401 and 403 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
Specifically, petitioners requested that EPA
Lower lead dust hazard standards at 40 CFR 745.65(b), 40 CFR 745.227(e)(8)(viii), and 40 CFR 745.227(h)(3)(i) from 40 micrograms of lead per square foot of surface area (μg/ft2) to 10 μg/ft2 or less for floors and from 250 μg/ft2 to 100 μg /ft2 or less for window sills.
Modify the definition of lead-based paint at 40 CFR 745.103 and 745.223 for previously applied paint or other surface coatings in housing, child-occupied facilities, public buildings and commercial buildings to reduce the lead levels from 0.5 percent by weight (5,000 parts per million (ppm)) to 0.06 percent by weight (600 ppm) with a corresponding reduction in the 1.0 milligram per square centimeter standard.
The petition was filed by the National Center for Healthy Housing, the Alliance for Healthy Homes, the Sierra Club and others. On October 22, 2009, EPA responded to the petition and agreed to revisit the current lead dust hazards standard and to work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to reconsider the definition of lead-based paint in its regulations. In July and December 2010, the Agency consulted with the SAB on the hazard standard issue.
In 2011, EPA will initiate risk analysis. In fiscal year 2012, the Agency will continue its risk analyses to determine if it will lower the dust lead hazard standards and work with HUD to determine if the definition of lead-based paint should be modified.
Press Releases and Articles
EPA Requests Information on Costs of Lead Regulation Implementation and Compliance
2/25/2011 AAMA News article
EPA Certifies 511,000 Lead-Safe Renovators, Launches Consumer Awareness Magazine Ads
11/15/2010 NAHB news article
Background Information
View archived news articles, press releases and letters to government officials
Additional Resources
FAQs on EPA's 6/18/2010 Implementation Guidance on LRRP Rule
EPA-issued frequently asked questions
Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right
34-page EPA Handbook
Application and Instructions for Firms
Applying for Certification to Conduct Lead-Based Paint Activities and Renovations
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