Vytex Corporation of Twinsburg, Ohio, will pay a $112,346 civil penalty in relation to a settlement reached regarding alleged violations of the Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this week. The violation surrounded the timely distribution of the ‘Renovate Right’ pamphlet before beginning renovation activities at various properties on which the company worked from 2018 to 2019.

“EPA alleged Vytex did not provide the ‘Renovate Right’ pamphlet before beginning renovation activities, which is intended to provide owners and/or occupants with information regarding potential lead-based paint hazards,” the agency wrote. “EPA also alleged Vytex did not comply with all renovator certification and recordkeeping requirements at properties it worked on.”

Adam Weinrub, president, says Vytex agreed to resolve the allegations on June 8 “without admission of liability.”

He explains in a statement that the allegations arose from the “untimely issuance” of the pamphlet to eight homeowners, all of whom he says received the pamphlet at contract execution but not within 60 days of commencing the actual installation work. The EPA and its regulations require the latter. Weinrub adds that the delay to installation was a result of supply-chain issues and that the eight cases found were out of thousands of window installations in the Twinsburg area.

“Vytex has strict controls and policies in place to ensure its compliance with all applicable LBP requirements, including ensuring that its window installers are certified as renovators and qualified to perform window installations on pre-1978 target housing,” Weinrub says. “Nonetheless, out of thousands of contracts handled by the company, the LBP renovator certifications for two renovators were not documented in four cases.”

As part of the settlement, Vytex agreed to comply with the RRP Rule in all future renovations, in addition to the $112,346 civil penalty to be paid to the federal government.

“In response to EPA’s findings, Vytex, on a companywide basis, has instituted various enhanced compliance policies, such as same-day and periodic record audits, training, and delivery of the EPA pamphlet both at contract execution and at window installation,” Weinrub continues. “A subsequent audit by EPA of another Vytex office found all records to be in compliance.”

The EPA wrote that it has designated the reduction of childhood lead exposure as a high priority and is working to implement the Federal Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Associated Health Impacts.