Last September, I wrote a cautiously optimistic blog about the Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (LRRP). In it, I expressed my enthusiasm that our industry was working hard to make our voice heard on the issue and that the government was undergoing a mandatory Section 610 Review of the policy. After the headlines last […]

This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced six lead paint enforcement actions in California and Arizona that brought in a total of $287,000 in settlements  during the past year. “Lead paint is one of the most common sources of lead poisoning in children,” said Alexis Strauss, EPA’s Acting Regional Administrator for the Pacific […]

A federal appeals court has ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise its lead-paint standards within 90 days and write new rules within a year. The 2-1 decision last week by the San Francisco-based Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit came in response to environmental groups demanding that the EPA act upon a […]

As previously reported by DWM, remodelers who are certified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work on homes that may contain lead paint under the Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule now have the option to complete refresher training online, according to an EPA announcement. However, EPA re-certifications obtained via an online refresher […]

While there might be a lot of noise in the political world as 2016 presidential hopefuls kick off their campaigns, the halls of Capitol Hill are eerily quiet. With August recess upon us, let’s take a moment to reflect on the year so far. January-March The View from Here: Grim The 114th Congress convened for […]

Bipartisan legislation aimed at reforming the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting (LRRP) Rule is being applauded by industry associations nationwide. In an effort to reduce the burden the rule has placed on the home retrofit market, Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) proposed the Lead Exposure Reduction Amendments Act of 2015 (H.R. 2328)—co-sponsored […]

If the issues on this year’s WDMA Legislative Conference agenda look familiar, that’s because they should. As we all know, the 113th Congress didn’t do much to advance the causes impacting our industry. Or any causes, for that matter. However, this Congress is showing some early signs we might see better results. Granted, I’ve had […]

The yard signs have come down, local advertising has gone back to normal and the results are (mostly) in. The midterm elections are behind us and Republicans are declaring victory with eight additional Senate seats (53 of 100) and increased dominance of the house with 12 new seats (244 of 435). No matter which side […]

According to the EPA, approved test kits for the Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting (LRRP) Rule have a failure rate of between 22.5 percent and 84 percent. I think we can all agree that this failure rate is unacceptable and unproductive. The good news is that, in mid-July, the House Appropriations Committee voted to approve […]

Several New England-area businesses performing painting and home renovation work have reached a settlement agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to comply with requirements designed to protect children from exposure to lead-based paint during painting and other renovation activities. The settlements also contain financial penalties which must be paid for alleged violations of EPA’s […]