Letter: New law restricts home repairs

A potentially expensive law takes effect April 22 that will impact homeowners, property managers, landlords and contractors. The Environmental Protection Agency is requiring that anyone who does repair work on a house built before 1978 to complete a certification course and become licensed to work around lead-based paint.

This ruling includes any renovation, repair or remodeling done by carpenters, HVAC, painters, electricians, plumbers, roofers, carpet installers, window replacement contractors and even summer part-time college students being paid to paint rental units. Homeowners, doing the work in homes that they live in are exempt.

Specifically this new law requires:

• A new certification in lead-safe work practices is required for anyone being paid to do work on projects where lead paint may be disturbed. The program necessitates new training for anyone who is working on painted surfaces

• The new rules apply to lead-based paint inside and outside of residential or child-occupied facilities.

• Contactors need to contain the work area so that no dust or debris can escape, they must cover floors and furniture, seal doorways and air vents and must clean up all dust and debris, then test the area for lead dust in houses, apartments, and child-occupied facilities such as schools or day-care centers built before 1978.

• The program is focused on protecting the building occupants by requiring contractors to identify lead-based paint and treating it properly.before allowing anyone into the affected area.

Homeowner, landlords, and property managers should request to see if their contractor has the required EPA Certification and has at least one Certified Renovator on their staff or has a Certified Renovator as a subcontractor before beginning any remodeling project after April 22.

The West Central Builders Association is holding an informational meeting at 6:30 p.m., March 17 at the Grandview Plaza in Wapakoneta. For more information, contact the West Central Builders Association at (419) 222-2942, Steve Sidener at (419) 568-7170 or Ric Johnson at (419) 230-4363.

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