Two Rhode Island landlords will pay the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a penalty of $13,900 for violations of federal lead disclosure laws.
EPA alleged in a complaint that Donald Ciotola and Carol Simeone violated the federal Toxic Substance Control Act when the landlords failed to notify prospective tenants about potential lead-paint hazards in housing they owned in Woonsocket, R.I., as required by the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 and the Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule.
Exposure to lead paint is a serious health concern in New England due to the age of the housing stock, according to the EPA.
The purpose of the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act and the Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule is to ensure that prospective tenants have enough information about lead-based paint in general and known lead-based paint hazards in specific housing to make an informed decision about whether to lease a particular property.