Contractors get reprieve on lead paint rules
Contractors in Maine and the rest of the country now have more time to meet new federal requirements for dealing with lead paint.
The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday issued a memorandum to extend the deadline for contractors to enroll in required training classes to Sept. 30, with the completion date moved back to Dec. 31, according to a press release from Sen. Susan Collins, one of the senators who pushed to amend the Fiscal Year 2010 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill to include the extensions. The deadline to become certified had been April 22.
The new regulations require contractors who perform work in homes built before 1978 to be EPA certified for lead paint abatement or be fined up to $37,500 per violation per day. But many states, Maine included, found there were not enough trainers and classes to accommodate the thousands of contractors needing certification. The EPA has also agreed to work to provide additional trainers in areas that need them.
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