EPA Issues Enforcement Alert for Lead Renovation, Repair, and Paint Regulations
In October 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an enforcement alert for the lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule.
There is no safe level of lead exposure, particularly for children. In children, lead can severely harm mental and physical development, slow down learning, and irreversibly damage the brain. In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function, and may cause cancer. If someone is impacted by lead exposure, there is no known antidote, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Although the federal government banned lead-based paint for residential use in 1978, it is estimated that 31 million pre-1978 houses still contain lead-based paint, and 3.8 million of them have one or more children under the age of six living there. Any renovation, repair, or painting project in a pre-1978 home or building can easily create dangerous lead dust. Lead-contaminated dust is one of the most common causes of elevated blood lead levels in children, and even low levels of exposure can be harmful. The RRP Rule requires that projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities and preschools built before 1978 be performed by lead-safe certified contractors.
This enforcement alert contains information on the wide range of enforcement tools the EPA can use to deter and penalize violators, including violations by franchises, general and sub-contractors, and people who provide residential improvements. It also explains how renovating, repairing, and painting can expose vulnerable infants and children to dangerous lead-based paint hazards and how EPA acts to ensure environmental justice and enforce the RRP Rule requirements. EPA’s enforcement alert includes information about how contractors, who play a critical role in preventing lead exposure, can ensure they are properly trained and certified.
If you suspect a problem, call the Lead Hotline at 800-424-LEAD (5323) or contact the EPA using our Report a Violation online form.
