The EPA announced today 141 federal enforcement actions have been completed in the past year to ensure entities including renovation contractors comply with the EPA's lead-safe practices to protect the public from exposure to lead from lead-based paint. Contractors who were cited violated the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, or the Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule among other rules. The 141 federal enforcement is an increase from the 127 announced last year by the EPA.
By ensuring compliance with federal lead-based paint requirements, the EPA can address a major source of lead exposure that occurs in communities across the nation, according to the agency's release. The 141 federal enforcement actions from October 2017 through September 2018 included civil administrative settlements, civil complaints, and default orders by the EPA. Many cases resulted from referrals, tips, and complaints from local authorities, consumers, and others, according to the EPA.
Settlements with the EPA require alleged violators to come into compliance with the law and pay civil penalties, the EPA said. In the past year, lead-based paint settlements obtained more than $1.2 million in civil penalties. Additionally, the EPA obtained voluntary commitments to perform lead-based paint abatement projects in several settlements.
One of the largest and most high-profile settlements in the past year was made with HGTV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines of Magnolia Homes. The couple agreed to pay $160,000 to abate lead-based homes and a $40,000 penalty. The violations stemmed from work depicted on their show "Fixer Upper."
The announcement from the EPA came in the midst of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, an initiative to bring together individuals, organizations, industry, and state and local governments to help increase awareness for lead poisoning.
