EPA Lead-Safe Certification Program Fact Sheet

RENOVATION, REPAIR AND PAINTING (RRP) IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS

Background

Lead paint poisoning affects over one million children today. Adverse health effects include learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and speech delays. If not done in a lead-safe manner, renovations and repair activities that disturb lead-based paint can expose children, as well as adults, to harmful levels of lead dust.

On April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe work practices aimed at preventing lead poisoning in children. On April 22, 2010, the rule became effective and firms performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified, individual renovators must be trained by an EPA-accredited training provider, and the firms and renovators must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination. EPA estimates that the costs to contractors to follow the work practices will range from $8 to $167 per job, with the exception of those exterior jobs where vertical containment would be required.

To become a certified renovator, individuals are required to take eight hours of training, of which two hours must be hands-on training, to become certified. This training is good for five years. The cost of this training is set by individual training providers, not by EPA. In addition, renovation firms must be certified by EPA or by a state authorized by EPA to administer its own program. Firm certification is easy; firms need to send in a two-page application to EPA and pay a fee of $300. Certification is good for five years.

Training Capacity

EPA has approved 561 training providers. Of these training providers, 342 are accredited to provide training in multiple states. A number of industry organizations are accredited training providers and are expected to train large numbers of renovators in their industry sector. For example:

-- A large window manufacturer and installer is an EPA-accredited training provider and has scheduled trainings in multiple states.

-- A number of non-governmental organizations and private vendors are EPA-accredited training providers and conduct trainings in multiple states across the country. You can search for an EPA-accredited training provider near you.

Even states that do not yet have fixed training providers in their state have had multiple training courses offered in their state.

www.epa.gov/opptintr/lead/pubs/lscp-press.htm