Tim Carter, owner of Tim Carter Builder, in Meredith, N.H., wrote this letter to REMODELING in response to "Add It Up," editor-in-chief Craig Webb's "First Word" column in the July edition in which Webb argued that the cost of EPA's Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) lead-paint rule doesn't justify its benefits.
Kudos to you, Craig, for saying what needs to be said. However, as is with most things, you need to dig a little deeper. Every remodeler should think about the real motivation behind the EPA's stance on this lead issue. It's not about lead. It's not about health. It's about money. It's always about money.
Go back to 1993 and read President Clinton's Executive Order #12852. That EO created the President's Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD). The PCSD was tasked to impregnate all of the Federal Agencies, including the EPA, with the principles agreed to at the Rio Earth Summit held in 1992.
On page one of that 347-page document they clearly indicate this is all about the transfer of wealth. I'm not making this up, you can read it yourself.
It's not about equal opportunity anymore, it's all about equal outcomes. The federal government, via the Sustainable Communities Initiative here in the USA, is trying to micromanage the businesses of remodelers as well as the lives of ordinary citizens. It's trying to make remodelers produce equal outcomes for everyone at the expense of a few.
It's time for every remodeler who reads this publication to get up to speed on this issue. What you'll discover in short order is the EPA is doing a fantastic job of imitating the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood fable. If you're a struggling remodeler, the EPA is trying to eat you just like the wolf ate Little Red Riding Hood.
Wake up, remodelers! Start reading more about the Rio Earth Summit and discover how the federal government is trying to crush your business with unnecessary and onerous regulations.
Note: Carter also is the author of the "Ask the Builder" column syndicated in newspapers nationwide.
