We talked in an earlier blog post about the EPA’s RRP Rule requiring a Lead-Safe Certification for contractors, but in this post, we wanted to address Orange County painting contractors in particular.
More than just about any other type of contractor, painters should be concerned about lead paint. While other contractors may work in buildings or homes where lead paint is present, painters are highly likely to disturb the paint during paint prep, which creates the toxic lead dust that the EPA is concerned about. For that reason, the EPA requires painters who work in (or even offer to work in) homes that were built prior to 1978 to be Lead-Safe Certified Firms. When the EPA talks about “offering” to work in a home built before 1978, that could mean providing a quote to a homeowner, advertising in a neighborhood with older homes, or any other similar activity. These activities could invoke fines from the EPA, even if the painting company never did any actual work that would disturb lead paint!
Because the EPA’s rules are so stringent, it makes sense for every painter in Orange County to obtain their Lead-Safe Certification. Once you have the certification, you will no longer be limited to only being able to paint newer homes, and you won’t have to worry about getting the dreaded letter from the EPA telling you that you are being fined for being out of compliance with their RRP Rule.
Helping Orange County Painters Obtain Their Lead-Safe Certification
Just like many government programs, the Lead-Safe Certification program has a lot of detailed requirements for contractors. At DTS, we walk you through all the requirements and help get your company certified. We make the process simple so you can take care of all the other things you need to do to keep your business running.
And just in case you are thinking, “I’m just an individual who paints houses. I don’t have a company, so I don’t need to get certified,” the rule also applies to sole proprietors. Even if you are a handyman who sometimes paints houses, you should obtain your Lead-Safe Certification so you don’t have to worry about getting fined by the EPA.
The good news is that after you become a Lead-Safe Certified Firm, the certification is good for five years, and recertification is a relatively simple process.
What if You Already Received a Letter from the EPA?
You may have arrived at this blog post because you’re a painter in Orange County who recently got a letter from the EPA’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division in your region. The EPA has been ramping up their efforts recently to ensure that contractors get their Lead-Safe Certifications. If the letter says that they believe you “may be out of compliance” with the RRP Rule, you probably still have time to rectify the situation. Promptly obtaining your Lead-Safe Certification will likely help you avoid fines. You can contact us at DTS, and we will be happy to do whatever we can to assist you in avoiding penalties.
If your letter from the EPA states that you are being penalized for performing work covered by the RRP Rule without a Lead-Safe Certification, the situation is more serious, but we still may be able to help. Contact us right away. DTS can help you get certified as quickly as possible so you can show the EPA that you are making strides to become compliant. We may not be able to help you avoid fines for past work, but we can make sure that you don’t incur any additional fines.