Building Owners & Property Managers Prepare for Strict New Lead Regulations

The environmental professionals at Clark Seif Clark (CSC) provide testing solutions for commercial and multi-housing residential properties in preparation of the EPA’s RRP lead testing requirements.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmental health problem in the U.S" One of the most common sources of lead are the lead based paints that still exist on painted surfaces decades after their use was banned.

Property managers and building contractors across the United States are busy preparing for the regulations from the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule that went into effect April 22, 2010. According to the EPA, “…federal law will require that contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.”

According to the RRP Rule, housing or components declared lead-free by a certified inspector or risk assessor will not require additional testing. Contractors will be required to store all certification and testing documentation for a 3-year minimum. The EPA has the authority to seek civil fines of $32,500 per offense for violating the RRP requirements and will begin enforcement action for violations of the RRP Rule’s firm certification requirement after October 1, 2010.

A leading provider of lead testing services to ensure compliance with the new RRP regulations is Clark Seif Clark, a professional environmental consulting firm. “CSC’s certified lead inspectors and assessors are busy inspecting regulated structures to determine the presence or absence of lead based paint. If the inspectors declare a property lead-free through testing, there can be a significant cost savings to the owner. Lead free sites can opt out of many of the RRP requirements.” reported Derrick Denis, V.P. Indoor Environmental Quality at CSC. “If embraced by the demolition and renovation communities and if enforced by the EPA, this RRP Rule should help in reducing the incidence of construction-related child lead poisoning in the U.S.”

To learn more about how CSC can help with lead, indoor air quality (IAQ), mold and other environmental issues please visit www.csceng.com, email info@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark (CSC)
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both the public and private sectors address environmental issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering making them the preferred environmental consultants to healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals

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Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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