Procedures for renovating lead-painted facilities are set forth in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" include posting warning signs, restricting occupants from work areas, containing work areas to prevent dust and debris from spreading, conducting a thorough cleanup and verifying that cleanup was effective.
The new rule announced by the EPA on April 1 also requires builders, painters, plumbers and electricians to be trained and certified.
The "Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" will take effect in April 2010 and covers housing, child-care facilities or schools built before 1978, when the government banned lead paint for residential use.
The EPA will conduct an extensive education and outreach campaign to promote awareness of the new rules. Lead is a toxic chemical more dangerous to children under six years of age.
Lead poisoning impairs the nervous system, damage kidneys and reproductive organs, and affects the cardiovascular system.
