Posted on 04/12/2010 12:15:00 PM PDT by day21221
EPA mandate New renovation rules to push up costs
BY ALESHIA HOWE April 12, 2010
Renovation companies nationwide are preparing for a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys mandate beginning April 22 and local experts say homeowners should be prepared to see a higher bill because of it.
According to the EPAs new Renovation Repair and Paint rule, beginning on April 22 builders performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities and schools built before 1978 must be EPA certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
Some things wont change, but one thing is for sure its going to increase the cost of remodeling a home that was built before 1978, said Stephen L. Polozola, an attorney with Decker Jones McMackin McClane Hall & Bates P.C., who specializes in construction law.
The new rules will require builders to send in their application to the EPA to become a certified firm and each employee must get his or her certified renovator status, which requires an eight-hour training course and passing an exam. According to the EPA, this employee also will be responsible for training other employees and overseeing work practices and cleaning.
Once work starts on the renovation of a pre-1978 home, the certified renovator has a check-list to complete including giving homeowners handouts and securing a signature from the homeowner notifying them of safe renovation practices.
Certified renovators also will be required to post warning signs outside the work area and supervise setting up containment to prevent spreading dust using specific containment procedures for both interior and exterior projects such as cleaning the area with HEPA vacuuming and wet washing.
Its these steps local experts say will bump up renovation project costs for home owners.
Contractors typically use a wet/dry vac to clean up after themselves on a job, but now theyre going to have to purchase one with a HEPA filter, so instead of $200 or $300 for a vac, theyre looking at $1,500 and theyre obviously going to have to pass along those expenses to the consumer, Polozola said. It will without question increase expenses.
Robert S. Mathews, the current president of the National Association of the Remodeling Industrys Fort Worth chapter and owner of Curb Appeal Renovations Inc., agreed renovation costs will increase, but said the outcome was worth it.
I wouldnt really say it will drag out the process; it will add more to the cost of the remodel but more importantly, it will make it safer for those living in the homes, especially if there are children living in the homes, he said.
According to a report by the Presidents Task force on Environmental Health and Safety Risks to Children, an estimated 24 million pre-1978 U.S. dwellings were at risk for lead-based paint hazards.
Both Polozola and Mathews agreed that many contractors and home owners may still be unaware of the changing law something that could be even more costly down the road.
[Homeowners] need to start using certified professionals to complete the work on their homes so they dont endanger themselves and their family, Mathews said. This is also a great way to make sure those in our industry know about the new laws as well many in our industry arent even aware that the laws have changed, but with the first fine starting at $32,500 this is not a slap on the wrist. The EPA is taking this very seriously and so should our industry.
Not all projects will be subject to the new rule. Pre-1978 structures that include minor repairs or where interior work disturbs less than six square feet or exteriors disturbing less than 20 square feet will be exempt. And any home that tests lead free will be exempt as well.
There are many in our industry who, as with any law, wont abide, Mathews said. The public needs to be made aware of the new law to make sure that everyone in their family is safe.
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Renovation and remodeling contractors' requirements under the new regulation include containing work sites with plastic and thoroughly cleaning up lead paint dust stirred up during work, The New York Times reported.
About 38 million units of housing stock are potentially affected by the rule, according to EPA officials.
"We think it will be very effective," Steve Owens, assistant administrator for the EPA's office of prevention, pesticides and toxic substances, told the Times. "It's a rule designed to address one of the major sources of lead pollution."
Legislation directing the EPA to propose the regulation was passed by Congress in 1992. The EPA finally finished the rule in 2008 after a lawsuit from environmental and public interest groups, the newspaper said.
“The new rules will require builders to send in their application to the EPA to become a certified firm and each employee must get his or her certified renovator status, which requires an eight-hour training course and passing an exam. According to the EPA, this employee also will be responsible for training other employees and overseeing work practices and cleaning. “
Boy, this is sure gonna help jobs right along!
Good Grief!! I can also see homeowners insurance claims becoming a nightmare because of the increase in “ordinance” payments now required in repairing a normal home after a kitchen fire or something.
This is a nightmare and this will effect a whole lot of folks who make less than $200,000 a year.
The EPA is an UNELECTED BODY and has no legal right to this at all. But as usual, the elite political folks will let it ride right by...
Since when did the EPA start running the country? How many EPA employees have been elected by the public across this country?
We have a school around here that closed in 1985. At the time the cost to demolish it would have been a few hundred thou. But some of the school board members were against this, thinking that if enrollment increased in the future it could be reopened. Two years later the EPA issued new regs on asbestos, very similar to these. The cost of demolition shot up to nearly $5 million almost immediately.
The school has been rotting away with water damage and collapsing roof ever since, the board not having the $5 mil to legally tear it down.
The EPA is unconstitutional since Article 1 Section 8 does not specifically grant Congress the power to regulate the environment.
Dalrymple or Austin?
In her speech Friday, Palin used the term “Economic Punishment Agency.” Sure fits here.
I was thinking about having my windows replaced later this year. I might have to ask for quotes for the full job and for just doing the window installation in 8 holes where the windows used to be so the installer doesn’t disturb any lead surfaces (just ignore all those paint chips and glass shards on the ground outside)
More people and contractors will just do it without permits and people will pay cash. It’s a lose lose situation for the Marxist regime.
This is strictly a State matter.
Before I pay for any class I will need to research this Bullcrap! Sounds like they may have a problem enforcing this.
this will do wonders for a struggling housing market.
*sigh*
As a kid, I cast lead soldiers. Mom used to let us play with the Mercury when a thermometer broke. I had a summer job where I cleaned industrial furnace boiler boxes and I’m sure there was all kinds of asbestos around there. Washed my hands with gasoline, turpentine, bleach or whatever would do the job. I’m sure some of that contributed to my change from a liberal kid to a disgruntled old conservative.
vaudine
“This is strictly a State matter. “
The one with the gold makes the rules, and the states are broke.
If a contractor does 20 jobs a year, and if one of these vacs lasts 3 years, then the avg. cost increase is less than $25 per job. That is not the argument I would be making against this regulation. Certified renovators
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! When ever someone has to have special certification because of a gov't regulation, they will be able to charge more. Perhaps 20% to 30% more. A $1500 job will be priced at $1800 or more.
The list, ping
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