In 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) instituted a new rule that applies to pretty much every contractor in the United States. The Lead: Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule, or RRP Rule requires than any individual or company that performs work (or even attempts to perform work by providing a bid) on a home built prior to 1978 must be a “Lead-Safe Certified Firm.”
Up until recently, the EPA has been fairly lax in enforcing the RRP Rule, but they are now ramping up their efforts to ensure that companies and individuals are in compliance.
What Type of Work Falls Under the RRP Rule, Requiring Lead-Safe Certification?
According to the EPA’s website, “…any activity that disturbs paint in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities is covered…” This includes work such as electrical, plumbing, paint prep, carpentry, and window replacement. Also on the list of covered work is “remodeling and repair/maintenance,” which pretty much includes any type of work performed by contractors of all types.
If you are a contractor, handyman, or even a property manager in Los Angeles or Orange County that does repairs, maintenance, or renovations in homes or child-occupied facilities (like daycares or schools), this rule applies to you, and you need to get lead-safe certified as soon as possible!
What If You Don’t Go Through the EPA’s Lead-Safe Certification Process?
If you are a contractor or property manager in Los Angeles or Orange County and don’t have your required lead-safe certificate, you are taking a huge risk! You may have flown under the radar up until now, but that may soon change. The EPA has started sending out letters to individuals and companies that they believe are out of compliance, warning them that performing covered work without a valid Lead-Safe Firm Certificate could result in penalties greater than $40,000 per violation!
It’s likely only a matter of time before you get your letter from the EPA notifying you that you are out of compliance with the RRP Rule. Once you’ve been notified, the EPA may start hitting you with steep fines if you remain out of compliance.
How to Get Certified by the EPA as a Lead-Safe Firm in Orange County or Los Angeles
Unfortunately, obtaining a Lead-Safe Firm Certificate is not as straightforward as it should be. And even once you have applied for and obtained the proper certification, the EPA may still come after you for past work performed without the proper certification.
DTS can help!
We have done all of the research to determine what needs to be done in order for contractors be in full compliance with the RRP Rule and avoid costly fines. We can help you apply for the lead-safe certification from the EPA and create a written guidebook for your office, complete with a records-keeping section, and field-ready guides to help you stay in compliance. When you work with DTS, we take care of the mundane details so you can focus on the things your business does best!
Contact us to learn more about how we can help your business. We work with many Los Angeles and Orange County contractors, helping them avoid fines and stay in compliance with entities like OSHA and the EPA.