The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a new rule aimed at protecting children from lead-based paint hazards in places children frequent.

Effective April 22, 2010, the Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, or RRP, applies to renovators, property management maintenance personnel, and maintenance professionals that work in housing, child care facilities and schools built prior to 1978.

Renovation is broadly defined as any activity that disturbs painted surfaces and includes most repair, remodeling, and maintenance activities. Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, scraping and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and debris by disturbing lead-based paint.

Exposure to lead dust and debris is a known cause of lead poisoning, which is particularly toxic to children.

To help Oregon contractors comply with the new regulations, a new "Certified Lead-Based Paint Renovation Contractor License" (LBPR) was created to be administered by the Oregon CCB.

Northwest Hazmat, Inc. provides hands-on training in this 8-hour class, teaching specific work practices to prevent lead contamination at the worksite. Upon successful completion of the class, a certificate will be issued that qualifies the contractor to obtain the Oregon LBPR license.

To register, download the Registration Packet, which includes both the registration form and instructions. For out-of-area participants, there are also two maps showing where our facility is located.

Disclaimer: Classes are filled on a first come, first served basis, and availability is subject to change.

Other resources:

• Wikipedia on lead poisoning
• Oregon Construction Contractors Board Lead-Based Paint
• EPA Lead in Paint, Dust, and Soil
• EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP)

Following any of these links will take you to other websites and Northwest Hazmat, Inc. is not responsible for the content on these sites.

The RRP rule does not apply to lead inspection or abatement. Lead abatement refers to work that is done for the specific purpose of permanently removing lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards from a home. If you are hired to do abatement work only, the RRP rule would not apply.