EPA Fines Kansas and Missouri Home Renovators for Lead-Based Paint Violations

EPA

Kansas & Missouri – Five home renovation companies in Kansas and Missouri have agreed to pay nearly $132,000 collectively in penalties to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to resolve alleged violations of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act. According to EPA, the following companies failed to comply with regulations intended to reduce the hazards of lead-based paint exposure during renovations. Companies that perform home renovations, or hire subcontractors to perform renovations, are required to comply with regulations under EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Program. These regulations include requirements to obtain certification from EPA prior to performing renovations, as well as compliance with lead safety practices, records retention, and notification to homeowners about the hazards of renovation-related lead exposure. For the full text, click here.

OIG: Improvements Are Needed to HUD’s Process for Monitoring Elevated Blood Lead Levels and Lead-Based Paint Hazards in Public Housing

Office of the Inspector General

US – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) officials reported that policies and guidance related to lead-based paint hazards and elevated blood lead levels (EBLL) were clear and well written. However, HUD did not align its EBLL value to CDC’s blood lead reference value (BLRV) for children under the age of 6. HUD uses its EBLL tracker to monitor cases of children with identified EBLLs residing in public housing. However, the EBLL tracker’s data fields needed improvement. For the full report, click here.

NY Construction Firm Settles Lead Paint Lawsuit

Paint Square Manhattan, NY

The  U.S. Department of Justice announced that the United States has entered into consent decrees setting a civil lawsuit against a New York construction company for violating lead-based paint safety regulations. The consent decrees resolve a lawsuit filed in a Manhattan federal court last year, alleging that CISNE NY Construction violated the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule over the course of renovating several Manhattan apartment buildings. Additionally, the lawsuit alleged that the defendants violated these rules by failing to provide the EPA with records necessary to enable the EPA to monitor the defendants’ compliance. For the full text, click here.

Lead Paint Chips Falling Off of CT Bridges

CT NPR by Dave Altimari

Connecticut – Chips of lead paint are falling off hundreds of bridges in Connecticut at such a rate that the state Department of Transportation has put out an alert to municipalities and intends to hire contractors to clean it up. “Bridge structures statewide have been experiencing a sudden, unexpected release of lead-based paint chips, which is believed to be related to the recent extreme swings in temperature,” said the DOT alert first issued to its own employees on Feb. 17. The DOT’s bridge maintenance unit spent last weekend inspecting more than 2,100 bridges across the state and determined that lead paint was cracking and falling off hundreds of them. For the full text, click here.

EPA Finds Kansas and Missouri Renovators in Default for Alleged Lead-Paint Violations

EPA — National – An official for the EPA has ruled that two home renovation companies must pay civil penalties to resolve violations of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act. According to EPA, Superior Restoration and Construction LLC of Overland Park, Kansas, must pay $44,680; and Askins Development Group LLC of St. Louis, Missouri, must pay $42,003. In each case, EPA alleged that the renovators failed to comply with regulations intended to reduce the hazards of lead-based paint exposure resulting from renovations. Both companies also failed to respond to multiple attempts by EPA to engage in discussions to resolve the violations, including failure to answer administrative complaints issued by EPA. For the full text, click here.

10th Circuit Upholds Order for Colorado Springs Landlord to Comply With Lead Paint Investigation

Colorado Politics by Michael Karlik

Colorado Springs, CO – The federal appeals court based in Denver agreed that a Colorado Springs landlord must comply with an order to provide records to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is investigating whether he properly disclosed lead paint to tenants.

David H. Zook, who is the manager of the company that owns 806 E. Boulder St., has resisted the EPA’s request for documents. He characterized the investigation as an egregious abuse of authority based on a disgruntled tenant’s complaint, and argued, mistakenly, that chipped lead paint inside a home is not addressed under federal law.

 For the full text, click here.

Richmond Contractor Sentenced to Over 1 Year for Violating Federal Lead Paint Laws and Obstructing Justice

Department of Justice

Richmond, IN – Jeffrey Delucio, 54, of Richmond, Indiana, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for violating the Toxic Substance Control Act, specifically the provisions of the Act concerning lead paint renovations, and for obstructing justice by fabricating records to obstruct a federal grand jury. According to court documents, Delucio operated Aluminum Brothers Home Improvements in Richmond, Indiana, which received federal grant money from the HUD to mitigate lead paint hazards in older low-to-middle income homes. Delucio admitted in federal court that he and other Aluminum Brothers workers he supervised failed to follow these laws while conducting multiple the HUD-funded renovations in Richmond. For the full text, click here.

Louisville Landlords Must Remove Lead-Based Hazards from Rental Units Under New Law

Courier-Journal by Billy Kobin

Louisville, KY – Nearly 10,000 children in Louisville from 2005 to 2021 tested positive for elevated levels of lead in their blood. But that figure is likely higher when accounting for decreased funding for screenings and many families lacking access to regular preventative care, according to Metro Government officials. Louisville lawmakers are now seeking to fight back against lead, a neurotoxin the American Academy of Pediatrics and other public health bodies warn can, even at low exposure levels, impact a child’s cognitive development, impulse control, literacy skills, concentration and physical growth. For the full text, click here.

EPA Releases Spanish Lead Awareness Curriculum to Spread Knowledge About Preventing Childhood Lead Exposure

EPA Washington, DC

EPA released the Spanish edition of the Lead Awareness in Indian Country: Keeping our Children Healthy! Curriculum (or Plan de estudios de concientización sobre el plomo in Spanish), a set of educational tools and community-based resources to reduce childhood lead exposure. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to expanding access to information and protecting all communities impacted by lead exposure and other public health issues. Spanish-speaking communities and families across the United States, including Puerto Rico, can now use the Curriculum to improve their understanding of lead’s potential impacts on children’s health and encourage actions to reduce or prevent childhood lead exposure. For the full text, click here.

EPA Shares New Resources to Help Increase Awareness of Lead-Safe Work Practices and Reduce Lead Exposure During Home Renovation

EPA Washington, DC

This week EPA launched the Renovate Lead-Safe Media Kit to prevent lead exposure when performing and promoting renovation, repair and painting (RRP) projects on homes built before 1978. The kit contains important information and messaging that can be used on social media and other sharing platforms. As expressed in EPA’s Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities, the Agency is using various methods—including the development of new and improved outreach materials—to reduce lead exposure and educate communities on the risks of lead exposure. For the full text, click here.