Lead-based paint’s health threat prompts strict new regulations

Mike Horvath, Lawrence, repaints a porch swing last week at a home in east Lawrence. New laws set strict standards for work done to a homes built before 1978 because of the likely presence of lead-based paint.

Homeowners note

Although homeowners are not required to be certified to do their own renovations, they should be aware of the dangers of handling lead-based paint, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Tom Langer, interim director of KDHE’s Bureau of Environmental Health, says property owners are risking their health and that of their families if they don’t know what they’re doing.

For more information, call 866-865-3233. An instructional video on handling lead-based paint is available at www.kshealthyhomes.org.

Lead exposure can cause serious health problems, which is why not just anyone can work on your home if it was built before 1978.

Homes and buildings constructed before that time are likely to have lead-based paint on either the inside or outside. The use of lead-based paint was banned in 1978 because of its harmful effects on children’s health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can have brain and nervous system damage, learning disabilities and hearing problems.

In April, the Environmental Protection Agency implemented new regulations regarding renovations on buildings that might contain lead-based paint. Contractors, landlords or anyone else who works on an older structure must be trained and licensed to handle lead-based paint.

Lawrence contractor Gerry Williams says the new requirements will have a serious impact on businesses throughout the city.

“The lead can have a very detrimental effect, so it’s good that they’re addressing it,” Williams said. “Given the state and federal involvement, I’m a little skeptical.”

Williams is also conc5erned that while some companies will make sure their workers are in compliance, other companies will try to skirt the law.

“It’s just one more tax and license that we’re going to have to comply with,” Williams said.

Lawrence has numerous older homes that have been turned into rental properties. When a tenant moves out, renovations often are done to prepare the unit for the next tenant. If a landlord wants to repaint a room, repair a door or wall, he or she must make sure only a licensed person does the work.

Paul Horvath has been a landlord for older homes in Lawrence for the last 30 years. He says with each new regulation, costs go up, and the extra expense is passed onto the tenants.

“You know, landlords got to make a certain amount of money. All the regulations do raise the price of rentals.”

Training for contractors to handle lead-based paint costs from $150 to almost $700. The cost of a five-year state license is $200.

Tom Knight owns Comply Ability, a Lawrence company that provides online training for lead-safe work practices. The six-hour course costs $150. Knight says the law affects more people than one might imagine. Anyone who disturbs lead-based paint must be licensed. This includes painters, remodelers, contractors and plumbers.

Knight says the new regulations will impact approximately 80 percent of dwellings in Kansas.

KDHE is responsible for enforcing the new rules. Tom Langer, interim director of KDHE’s Bureau of Environmental Health, estimates it will take a year to make sure everyone who needs to know about the rules is notified.

“We are understanding,” he said, “and we know everyone is rushing to do this.”

A first-time violation of the new rules carries a $1,000 fine.

The fine could have been $37,500. Kansas was allowed to opt out of the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting program, which means KDHE, not federal authorities, will be in charge of enforcement. The EPA will issue a $37,500 fine for violators.

Langer said the lower fine “doesn’t mean we’re not serious about making sure they (contractors) do a good job. We don’t want to scare people out of business.”