Regulations
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established training requirements for people involved in lead abatement (the permanent removal of lead). Certified Renovators may not perform lead-based paint abatement unless they are Certified Lead Abatement Workers or Certified Lead Abatement Supervisors.
Lead abatement is defined as any measure or set of measures designed to permanently remove or cover lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards. Abatement includes, but is not limited to:
The removal of paint and dust, the permanent enclosure or encapsulation of lead-based paint, the replacement of painted surfaces or fixtures, or the removal or permanent covering of soil, when lead-based paint hazards are present in such paint, dust or soil; and
All preparation, cleanup, disposal, and post-abatement clearance testing activities associated with such measures. (40 CFR 745.223).
Abatement does not include renovation, remodeling, landscaping or other activities, when such activities are not designed to permanently eliminate lead-based paint hazards, but are designed to repair, restore, or remodel a given structure or dwelling, even though these activities may incidentally result in a reduction or elimination of lead-based paint hazards. Furthermore, abatement does not include interim controls, operations and maintenance activities, or other measures and activities designed to temporarily, but not permanently, reduce lead-based paint hazards. (40 CFR 745.223).
The U. S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations require certain actions to address lead hazards in Federally-assisted target housing. In these cases, the workers must have proper training. HUD has a grant program to state and local governments for funding lead hazard reduction activities.
The U. S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a Lead in Construction Standard which outlines worker protection requirements. Your employer should be aware of these. For more information, on the OSHA Lead in Construction Rule, see 29 CFR 1926.62 (http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3142).
State and local regulations may also apply to the renovation work you do.
EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Final Rule
The RRP Rule requires training providers to be accredited, renovation firms must be certified, renovators and dust sampling technicians must be trained and certified, non-certified workers must work under and be trained on-the-job by a Certified Renovator, work practices must be followed for work covered by the rule, and renovators must educate owners/occupants.
Published April 22, 2008, under the authority of the Toxic Substances Control Act (section 402(c)(3) of TSCA). The final rule addresses lead-based paint hazards created by renovation, repair and painting activities that disturb lead-based paint in “target housing” and “child-occupied facilities.”
Target Housing is a home or residential unit built on or before December 31, 1977, except:
Housing designated for the elderly or persons with disabilities (unless any child who is less than 6 years of age resides or is expected to reside in such housing).
Any zero-bedroom dwelling (e.g. studio apartments, hospitals, hotels, dormitories, etc).
A Child-Occupied Facility is a pre-1978 building that meets all three of the criteria below:
Visited regularly by the same child, under 6 years of age.
Visits are on at least two different days within any week (Sunday through Saturday period), provided that each day’s visit lasts at least 3 hours.
Combined weekly visits last at least 6 hours, and the combined annual visits last at least 60 hours. Child-occupied facilities may be located in a public or commercial building or in target housing. These facilities include schools, child care facilities, and daycare centers.
State Authorization: EPA may authorize states, territories and tribes to enforce all aspects of the RRP Rule. Such states are called “Agreement states.” EPA enforces the Rule in non-Agreement states.
The Renovation, Repair, and Painting rule does not apply to renovation work that meets the following exclusions:
If the renovation only affects components that do not contain lead-based paint, the rule does not apply to renovation of these components.
EPA has established limits (see below) for minor repairs or maintenance. Work that does not exceed these limits is exempt from the work practice requirements in the Rule. The EPA limits for minor repairs and maintenance are larger than the HUD limits (see the HUD box below). Minor repair and maintenance activities have been defined in the Rule as:
Interior work disturbing less than 6 square feet (6 ft2 ) per room of painted surface is exempt from the work practices requirements in the Rule. Cleanup and cleaning verification are not required after minor repair and maintenance activities, unless they involve window replacement, demolition, or prohibited practices.
Exterior work disturbing less than 20 square feet (20 ft2 ) of painted surface is exempt from the work practices requirements in the Rule. Cleanup and cleaning verification are not required after minor repair and maintenance activities, unless they involve window replacement, demolition, or prohibited practices.
Window replacement, demolition, or activities involving prohibited practices are not considered to be minor repair work.
The entire surface area of a removed component is the amount of painted surface disturbed. Work, other than emergency renovations, performed within a 30-day period must be considered the same job when determining the amount of paint disturbed.
The RRP Rule: Firm Certification
No firm working in target housing or child-occupied facilities, where lead-based paint will be affected by the work, may perform, offer or claim to perform renovations without Firm Certification from EPA, or an EPA-authorized agreement state, territory, or Indian tribe.
One EPA renovation firm certification is all that is needed for a renovation firm to work in any nonauthorized state/territory/tribal area. Firm certification is not the same as the personal certification attained by each renovator‘s successful completion of this course.
States, territories and tribes may seek authorization from EPA to operate their own programs. Also, states, territories and tribes, whether authorized by EPA or not, can establish additional requirements for firms working within their jurisdictions. Be sure to determine if your state, territorial or tribal government has additional regulations that may affect renovation in your community.
The HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule applies to every home built prior to 1978 that receives Federal housing assistance, typically provided through state and local governments, where greater than HUD’s de minimis amounts of painted surfaces will be disturbed. HUD’s de minimis amounts are: 2 square feet of interior lead-based paint, 20 square feet of exterior lead-based paint or 10% of the total surface area on an interior or exterior type of component with a small surface area that contains lead-based paint. Examples include window sills, baseboards, and trim.
The RRP Rule: Firm Responsibilities
The Certified firm must ensure that everyone on the renovation, repair or painting job is trained to perform lead-safe work practices during the work. EPA requires all persons on the job to be trained. The person responsible for lead-safe work practices must be a Certified Renovator.
Other firm employees (non-certified renovation workers), working on the job, must be trained on-the-job by Certified Renovators, or must be Certified Renovators themselves. This could be accomplished by:
Having all employees trained as Certified Renovators; or,
Having at least one person trained as a Certified Renovator, who will then train the rest of the employees in lead-safe work practices. Note that this training must be performed by a Certified Renovator.
The Certified Firm must designate a Certified Renovator: to conduct set-up activities; to insure that the renovation is performed in accordance with work practice standards; to verify work and cleanup activities using the cleaning verification procedure; and, to train non-certified renovation personnel on-the-job in lead-safe work practices.
The Certified Firm must ensure that the renovation is performed in accordance with the work practice requirements in the Rule.
The Certified Firm is responsible for complying with pre-renovation education requirements.
The Certified Firm is also responsible for keeping all records including:
Pre-renovation education documentation (proof of receipt, proof of delivery, waivers, etc.);
Documentation of lead-based paint;
Training and certification records; and,
Cleaning verification records.
The RRP Rule: Individual Certification
All renovations must be directed by Certified Renovators. Individuals may become Certified Renovators by completing an EPA-approved 8-hour training course in lead-safe work practices taught by an EPA-accredited training provider.
Successful completion of that course will result in a 5 year certification as a Certified Renovator.
To maintain certification, Certified Renovators must take an EPA-approved 4-hour refresher course taught by an EPA-accredited training provider, before their certification expires.
No application or fee is required to become a Certified Renovator. Instead, the course completion certificate serves as the renovator certification. A “copy” of the initial and/or refresher course completion certificate must be available on-site during the work. States, territories and tribes may establish requirements for individual renovators working within their jurisdictions.
Be sure to determine if your state, territorial or tribal government has additional regulations that may affect what you must do and where you may work.
Image of individual certificate
The RRP Rule: Certified Renovator Responsibilities
The RRP Rule requires that an individual Certified Renovator be responsible for the renovation job regardless of the level of training and certification of the other persons working on the job. This individual Certified Renovator has the following responsibilities:
Perform work and direct the work of non-certified renovation workers.
Train all non-certified workers on-the-job in lead-safe work practices.
Maintain copies of initial and/or refresher training certifications onsite.
When requested, conduct testing for lead-based paint using EPA-recognized test kits or lead analysis of paint chip samples and report findings.
Remain onsite during the sign posting, work area setup, and cleanup phases of work.
When not on site, be available by telephone or pager.
Make sure that the containment is maintained in a way that prevents the escape of dust and debris. This responsibility implies a need to determine which work practices should be used to minimize dust.
Conduct the cleaning verification procedure to make sure that the work is complete and that the work area is ready to reoccupy.
Prepare a summary of the work, maintain training and certification records, and certify that all work was done in a lead safe manner.
The RRP Rule: Work Practice Standards
The Renovation, Repair, and Painting Final Rule covers setup of the work area, prohibited work practices, cleanup and the cleaning verification procedure.
Setup practices, such as posting signs and containing the work area, will be covered in Module 4.
Prohibited practices and dust reduction suggestions will be covered in Module 5.
Cleanup practices and cleaning verification procedures will be covered in Module 6.
Recordkeeping will be covered in Module 7.
The RRP Rule: Enforcement
EPA may suspend, revoke, or modify a firm’s certification if the Certified Firm or Certified Renovator is found to be in noncompliance. Those firms found to be non-compliant may be liable for civil penalties of up to $37,500 for each violation. Those firms who knowingly or willfully violate this regulation may be subject to fines of up to an additional $37,500 per violation, or imprisonment, or both.
EPA can also revoke certification for of a Certified Firm or a Certified Renovator who violates Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule requirements. Note that violators may be both Certified Renovation Firms and non-certified contractors who are not aware of or have ignored the requirement to become a Certified Renovation Firm.
HUD’s Lead Safe Housing Rule
HUD’s Lead Safe Housing Rule Covers federally-owned or -assisted target housing and federally-owned target housing being sold.
Renovators should ask if the housing receives financial assistance. If yes, the renovator should ask the owner to find out if the assistance is federal assistance. HUD’s rule has evaluation and control requirements based on type of assistance. These often include visual assessment, lead paint inspection; Paint stabilization, interim control, abatement; Ongoing lead-based paint maintenance.
HUD requirements for federally assisted housing are similar to those in the EPA rules with some exceptions. HUD’s rule does not cover “Child-Occupied Facilities” unless they are part of a residential property covered by the rule. This differs from the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, which covers housing and child occupied facilities, whether or not they are federally-assisted. Wherever the EPA regulations and HUD regulations differ, the more protective standard must be followed.
HUD has many programs that provide financial assistance, for example: rehabilitation, community development, acquisition assistance, etc. HUD requires addressing lead-based paint hazards (such as peeling paint, friction and impact surfaces, and high lead dust levels) by linking those activities to the HUD financial assistance.
When asking clients if the housing is receiving federal assistance, renovators should recognize that the assistance may come through a state or local government, community development corporation or other local entity, so they may have to ask the client to check into the ultimate source of the assistance funds.
HUD does not recognize on-the-job worker training alone, and generally requires all individuals performing interim controls (see Slide 2-12) of lead hazards in Federally-owned and Federally-assisted housing to complete a HUD-approved training course. HUD’s training requirements for work other than abatement are satisfied by successful completion of this EPA/HUD jointly approved Certified Renovator Course.
HUD’s Lead Safe Housing Rule: Safe Work Practices
The HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule specifies prohibited practices, requirements for protecting occupants, and preparing the work site. Special cleaning techniques must be used and clearance achieved.
Lead safe work practices are required during:
Paint Stabilization – Renovation to repair non-intact painted surfaces (flaking, peeling, or otherwise damaged) by performing substrate repair (if needed), surface preparation and repainting. The result is an intact painted surface.
Interim Controls - Interim controls are defined by HUD to include repairs, painting, temporary containment, specialized cleaning, clearance, ongoing lead-based paint maintenance activities, and the establishment and operation of management and occupant education programs.
Rehabilitation – This is HUD’s term for the renovation of properties.
Standard Treatments - a set of measures that reduce all potential lead-based paint hazards in a dwelling unit when lead-based paint is presumed to be present (no lead-based paint evaluation is performed); all deteriorated paint is treated as a lead-based paint hazard.
Ongoing Maintenance – Normal maintenance activities. In Federally-owned/assisted target housing, all areas of deteriorated paint in the work area must be repaired. Work affecting less than the small – “de minimis” – amounts listed below is not required to follow the lead safe work practices and clearance requirements in the HUD Rule.
HUD’s “de minimis” limits are smaller than the limits for minor repair and maintenance activities in the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. HUD’s “de minimis” amounts are:
2 square feet in any one interior room or space.
20 square feet on exterior surfaces.
10% of the total surface area of small interior or exterior component type.
In general, clearance is required after all work above HUD’s de minimis amounts, and is performed by a certified professional, such as a Lead Inspector, Lead Risk Assessor, or Dust Sampling Technician, who is independent of the Certified Renovation Firm.
State and local jurisdictions may have different clearance requirements than HUD’s and EPA’s; the most stringent requirements must be used.
The HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule (LSHR) covers renovation work in Federally-assisted or owned target housing, and specifically addresses the following lead safe activities.
Training: EPA requires that Certified Renovators be responsible for renovation projects. Because of this requirement, there are now two major training options for renovation work under the LSHR:
All renovation workers on the job are trained as Certified Renovators; or,
The designated Certified Renovator is also a Certified Lead Abatement Supervisor, and all workers who are not certified renovators have on-the-job training in lead-safe work practices.
Occupant Protection and Worksite Preparation: Occupants have to be kept out of the work area during the renovation work, and must be relocated from the unit during longer renovation projects. EPA-recognized test kits may not be used to test for lead-based paint (LBP); only a Certified Lead Inspector or Risk Assessor may determine whether LBP is present.
Prohibited Practices: HUD prohibits the same practices as the EPA RRP Rule, plus three more:
Heat guns that char paint;
Dry scraping or sanding except within 1 ft. of electrical outlets; and,
Use of a volatile stripper in poorly ventilated space.
De minimis levels: HUD has a smaller de minimis threshold for interior work than EPA’s limit for minor repair and maintenance activities. See the notes on the previous slide for details. Clearance Testing: HUD requires a clearance examination after renovation work above the de minimis level, in homes regulated by the LSHR. HUD requires a clearance examination by a party independent of the renovator, and, therefore, does not allow acceptance of the Certified Renovator’s visual inspection or use of the cleaning verification procedure.
When the HUD LSHR applies to your work, a clearance examination must be performed by a certified professional such as Lead Inspector, Lead Risk Assessor, or Dust Sampling Technician. Some state and local authorities have different clearance requirements and standards. Occupant Notification: HUD requires notices to be distributed to occupants within 15 days after LBP or LBP hazards in their unit (and common areas, if applicable) are identified, and within 15 days after completion of the hazard control work in their unit or common areas
Know the EPA and HUD Rules!
To obtain a copy of the regulations contact the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD. You may also download the rules and other information from the following websites:
www.epa.gov/lead
www.hud.gov/offices/lead
Individuals and firms performing renovation, repair, and painting in pre-1978 dwellings and child-occupied facilities should understand the EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting Final Rule. Individuals performing renovation, remodeling, and rehabilitation in pre-1978 housing that is Federally-assisted, need to understand the HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule. Appendix 2 contains more information on the HUD Lead Safe Housing Rule.
State and Local Regulations
States and localities may have different regulations than EPA and HUD for renovations in target housing. Check with your state and local housing and environmental agencies to obtain information about such requirements.
Interior Inspections in the City of Buffalo, New York
Use the following checklists to prepare for an interior inspection in the City of Buffalo.
