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EPA Issues Warning on Lead-Paint Hazard in Tornado-Hit Areas

Thursday, May 12, 2011

More items for Good Technical Practice

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 4, is cautioning homeowners, volunteers, and other workers to take steps to ensure that individuals, especially children, are not at increased risk for lead poisoning, because of clean up and repair work in tornado-ravaged areas of the Southeast.

EPA urges pregnant women and children to keep away from work that could disturb lead-based paint, and that those working on potential lead-based paint surfaces take precautions to prevent the spread of lead dust. 
 
Lead dust may pose a hazard to children and pregnant women during cleanup resulting from natural disasters. Lead-contaminated dust is the most significant source of lead exposure for children. Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children. Lead-based paint was used in more than 38 million homes until it was banned for residential use in 1978. Lead exposure can cause reduced IQ, learning disabilities, developmental delays, and behavioral problems in young children.

 
The EPA’s Renovation Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) requires that workers disturbing lead-based paint be trained and certified, notify residents of the lead dust hazards, and follow lead safe work practices, in order to reduce exposure to lead dust. Because of the nature of the storm recovery work, certain emergency provisions in the RRP apply.  Work covered under the RRP rule on storm- damaged housing will not require advance notice or trained renovators to remove materials from homes.  Emergency renovation activities are also exempt from the warning sign, containment, waste-handling, training, and certification requirements to the extent necessary to respond to the emergency. Other renovation activities are subject to the rule requirements.  Volunteer workers, who do not receive compensation for work, are not required to be certified, but should educate themselves about lead-safe work practices, so as not to inadvertently cause hazards for themselves or other family members.
 
The RRP program mandates that contractors, property managers and others working for compensation, in homes and child-occupied facilities built before 1978, must be trained and use lead-safe work practices. They are also required to provide a copy of the lead pamphlet “Renovate Right; Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers and Schools” to owners and occupants before starting renovation work.

More information about lead-based paint and EPA’s lead program can be found at http://www.epa.gov/lead or can be acquired by contacting the National Lead Information Center at 800-424-LEAD (5323).

Comment from Terry Singleton, (5/13/2011, 10:56 AM)

I'd like to see someone try and sell work that meets RRP standards to these tornado victims. Can you visualize having customers smile and say that they would be glad to pay a lot extra for lead safe practices. Looking at the picture above, I can't imagine anyone who has lived through this trauma would even care. Do you really think these people, who have no place to live, are worried that they might be breaking an EPA regulation at this time? Are they really concerned that somewhere, sometime, there is a small chance that a person might be harmed by lead paint dust. What about all of the dust and pollution caused by the tornados? Of course, government agencies will be happy to pay extra because they will be spending your tax payer dollars.

Comment from Catherine Byrne, (5/13/2011, 11:46 AM)

the EPA is just trying to help

Comment from Richard McLaughlin, (5/16/2011, 10:50 AM)

The scariest words ever spoken: "Hi, I'm from the Government and I'm here to help you"... ;-)