When replacing windows or siding, owners of pre-1978 homes presently have an option to opt out of the EPA Lead Painting and Renovation Rule (RRP), if no children under 6, pregnant women or no young children frequent the home. The EPA has now decided to remove the opt out. This takes effect 60 days after publication of the ruling.
This means that all work on pre-1978 homes with lead based paint will have to be done under the RRP guidelines. The cost to do work under these guidelines is higher than similar work being done on a home without lead being present.
The following was copied off the EPA website:
Lead in the News
EPA Press Announcements:
April 2010
- April 23, 2010 — EPA is announcing several new actions to prevent lead paint poisoning. Almost a million children have elevated blood lead levels as a result of exposure to lead hazards, which can lead to lower intelligence, learning disabilities, and behavior issues. In addition, adults exposed to lead hazards can suffer from high blood pressure, headaches, and memory loss. Children under six years old are most at risk.
EPA announced three actions:
- A final rule to apply lead-safe work practices (PDF) (66 pp, 465KB) to all pre-1978 homes, effectively closing an exemption that was created in 2008. The rule will become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
For the other two actions and more complete information you can go directly to the EPA website.
If you live in a pre-1978 home where lead is present and the home is not child occupied, you may want to do your renovations now instead of later. By waiting more than 60 days your costs to renovate (new windows, painting, new siding) will be higher than they are now. Keep in mind that the work has to be completed with in the next 60 days to avoid the added costs. There is a lead time on most renovation work, for example custom replacement windows can take 5 to 6 weeks or more to complete from the date of the contract.
With the lead times this means that you need to act in the next week or two to avoid the extra expenses.
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