"Cloud of controversy over new lead rules; Removal regulations a big step for safety, but at a high cost" by Jenifer B. McKim, Globe Staff | March 6, 2010
Homeowners, landlords, schools, and child-care centers could pay significantly more for repairs and renovations of buildings once strict federal regulations aimed at reducing the risk of lead poisoning in children take effect next month.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s rules, which apply to buildings built before 1978, are intended to reduce the amount of lead paint dust created by projects even as modest as a window replacement or a paint job that covers as little as 6 square feet in a room. Although there are no definitive projections on how much the requirements will add to the price of renovation work, members of the National Association of Homebuilders estimate it at between $500 and $1,500 for projects costing more than $5,000, according to an official of the Washington, D.C., trade group. The EPA says the additional expense may be as low as $35 a job.....
“There are a lot of very unhappy remodeling contractors,’’ said Bradford Campbell, executive director of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Western Massachusetts. With the economy already lagging, Campbell said, “we just don’t need these kinds of challenges.’’
EPA officials say they have tried to educate contractors through mass mailings and conference presentations. Over the next few weeks, the agency is planning advertisements in trade magazines and public service announcements in 10 cities....
You are PAYING FOR THAT, taxpayers?
The kick should go right where the government lead is, if you know what I mean!
"New EPA rule calls for more lead paint care; Contractors want deadline delayed to allow training" by Matthew Daly, Associated Press | April 22, 2010
WASHINGTON — Contractors across the country must take additional precautions when renovating houses where children could be exposed to lead dust from old paint, a safety measure that could add thousands of dollars to projects just as the remodeling industry tries to recover from the recession.
Yeah, I guess I'll scrap the whole idea. Place should make it a few more years anyway.
A federal rule that takes effect today forces contractors to use lead-safe practices when working on homes, day-care centers, and schools built before 1978, the year lead paint was banned for residential use because of health risks. Many contractors complain that the government has not provided enough trainers to help them meet the deadline and want it extended.
“The country is not ready for this,’’ said Donna Shirey, president of Shirey Contracting in Issaquah, Wash., and the chairwoman of a remodelers council for the National Association of Home Builders. About 800 NAHB members were in Washington for the group’s spring meeting, and many were making an eleventh-hour attempt to lobby lawmakers for a delay for the rule.
So who lobbies for you, citizen?
The Environmental Protection Agency issued the lead-paint rule in 2008 because more than a million American children a year are at risk of being poisoned by lead-based paint in their homes, leading to learning disorders and behavioral problems, EPA spokesman Dale Kemery said.
Yeah, there is crap in the air, land, water, and food -- but government is going to wory about a "what if."
Two years was adequate time to prepare, and the agency is sticking to its timetable, Kemery said.
Workers will have to be certified as lead-safe by the EPA and wear special gear outfitted with air filters, goggles, and hoods. Work sites will have to be protected with heavy plastic and cleaned thoroughly with special vacuums, with warning signs posted.
“It’s going to look like there’s astronauts in the yard,’’ said Charlie Dorsey, regional sales manager for Gorell Windows and Doors, a Pennsylvania company....
If not detected early, high levels of lead exposure can damage the brain and nervous system, result in behavior and learning problems such as hyperactivity, or cause slow growth.
That's okay, we have LOTS of PHARMACEUTICALS for the KIDS!!
Oh, and LEAD might cause the ADD, huh?
Lead also can cause reproductive problems, high blood pressure, nervous disorders, and memory problems in adults....
To be certified, a contractor needs to take a one-day course....
Rebecca Morley, executive director of the National Center for Healthy Housing, called the rule crucial to protect children. Contrary to common belief, she said, most lead poisonings do not occur when kids put lead-paint chips into their mouths, but rather are the result of exposure to lead dust from renovation work.
Who knows WHAT or WHOM to believe anymore; however, we KNOW WHO NOT TO BELIEVE!!!
--more--"
EPA Says Mizzou Won't Mind More Mine Waste
But they are worried about lead in your home, right.
