Peter Lawton, CKD Leads Region
With Training for Lead-Safe Remodeling Certification
EPA fines begin April 22, 2010 for non-compliance
South Berwick, ME — Lead-Safe Certified Renovator Peter Lawton has been named Northern New England Principal Instructor for Kachina, the EPA-approved training and compliance leader for the remodeling industry. Lawton is charged with training remodeling professionals on EPA home remodeling procedures that go into affect on April 22, 2010.
“As of April, contractors cannot work in homes built before 1978 without becoming an EPA Certified Renovators,” said Lawton, who has been a Lead-Safe Renovator since 1998. “If you break paint or create dust during a remodeling project, this pertains to you.”
EPA Fines for Non-Compliance Begin April 22, 2010
“In accordance with the new EPA regulations,” he continued, “lead-safe work practices must be initiated, overseen, and directed by a Certified Renovator. Both the individual and the firm must be certified through an EPA-approved training program. This is serious business and contractors who are found liable for working without certification will be facing penalties of up to $37,500 per violation per day and even criminal imprisonment for non-compliance.”
According to Lawton, lead-safe remodeling practices have been taught for a decade, but the “practice” becomes law this April. Contrary to what many attorneys believe, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) contains a rule known as the Pre-Renovation Lead Information Rule (PLIR), which requires contractors doing renovation work to provide the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) PLIR pamphlet, Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers and Schools , to the owner (and any tenant) of pre-1978 housing where work is being done. This disclosure requirement covers most residential and commercial home improvement jobs, including all window replacement.
While Lawton has been asked to teach in all six New England states, he primarily offers the 8-hour Kachina contractor certification courses in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
“Contractors are shocked at what they learn,” said Lawton. “If remodeling work does anything to break paint or create dust in a pre-1978 home, it is part of this regulation. We are teaching techniques that should be employed on every job -- regardless of the age of the home -- to protect homeowners and workers. It takes such a tiny amount of lead to poison a human being. A child doesn't need to eat paint chips, but can be poisoned just by breathing in the lead paint dust caused by renovation.”
Lawton offers this example of a toxic amount of lead…
Anyone is considered to be poisoned when their blood contains over 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood. A deciliter of blood is approximately ½ cup and an infant has between 4-5 deciliters of blood. One gram is the equivalent of a packet of low-calorie sweetener, so divide the content of just one packet into a million piles, then discard all but ten piles and mix that into a half-cup and you can visualize how little lead can poison a child. Increased lead can cause learning disabilities, decreased growth, hyperactivity, impaired hearing and brain damage.
Contractors may schedule private training sessions for groups or participate in one of the scheduled sessions in their area.
For more information, call or email Peter Lawton at 978-722-6561.
