New Lead Paint Regulations are Here
On April 22, 2010 remodelers must comply with a new federal regulation pertaining to lead paint exposure. Supporters say it will protect them and their children from lead poisoning but many industry groups including the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the two big box retailers, Home Depot and Lowes are lobbying Congress and the White House to delay the rule's implementation, saying the government hasn't certified enough firms in government-approved techniques for handling lead-contaminated materials.
The EPA says lead-based paint was used in more than 38 million homes until the government banned it from housing in 1978. Although the average concentration of lead in the blood of young children has fallen sharply since then, EPA officials say too many are still being poisoned by lead-based paint in their homes. The agency says that from 1999 through 2004, roughly 285,000 children between the ages of one and five years were estimated to have elevated lead levels in their blood each year.
Contractors are concerned about higher costs associated with these new regulations which they will then have to pass along to consumers.
Should be interesting to watch how this plays out.
[via Wall Street Journal]
