Condo Media - May 2010 - 48

MAINTENANCE

by Fred Schernecker

The EPA’s New Lead-Safe Rules
What Property Managers and Owners Need to Know
ainting, repairs and renovations on condominiums built before 1978 are about to get a lot more complicated for property managers, owners and contractors. Thanks to the EPA’s strict new LeadBased Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, any work on pre-1978 properties that disturbs a lead-painted surface must be performed by a LeadSafe Certified firm and supervised by a Certified Renovator. The new federal regulations, scheduled to become effective on April 22, 2010, come with a lot of new paperwork and procedures. The new leadsafe rules also come with crippling penalties for violations — up to $37,500 per day per violation. The threshold for violations isn’t hard to trip over. In general, a non-certified contractor or in-house maintenance department that disturbs more than six square feet of an interior painted surface, or more than 20 square feet of an exterior painted surface, is in violation. The new regulations also apply to demolition and replacement of any windows on pre-1978 properties. Failure to provide proper pre-work notifications is also a violation. The penalty consequences for contractors are fairly straightforward. Less clear is the liability property managers and owners may have for hiring uncertified contractors. But it’s safe to say, no association wants to be the EPA’s test case. As of this writing, building material manufacturer and suppliers are lobbying hard to delay implementation of the new lead-paint rules. Meanwhile, property managers and owners can take some steps now to get ready for the new wave of regulations.

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Determine your property’s construction date. The new regulations apply only to structures built before 1978. Although most of today’s condo communities were built after 1978, many condos that were converted from pre1978 multi-residential properties are affected by the new rules. Test your pre-1978 property for lead-based paint. In the past, inconsistent enforcement of lead-paint regulations, and the desire to avoid the significant expense of lead-paint mitigation, made many owners wary of testing. If no one was asking, why worry about it? Those days are gone. If your property was built before 1978, the EPA now assumes that any painted surface is lead-based — and you must comply with the new rules — unless certified testing proves otherwise. Hire an EPA- or state-certified inspector or risk assessor to determine if and where lead-based paint is present. Results of this surface-by-surface inspection will be detailed in a report. (A risk assessment also includes an evaluation of any lead dust hazard.) Best case scenario: A negative test result for all surfaces means you have one less thing to worry about. Another reason to test is to document where lead-based paint is located and where it is not. If your contractor isn’t disturbing lead-based paint areas, the new rules don’t apply, and you’ll avoid the additional compliance costs for future renovations, repairs and painting. If lead paint is present in the work area, complying with the new rules will avoid unnecessary health and legal risks.

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Hire a Lead-Safe Certified Contractor. The new rules require that any work on lead-based painted surfaces be performed by Lead-Safe Certified Contractors and supervised by a Lead-Safe Certified Renovator. The certification process includes full-day training on compliant occupant notifications, specific work practice, clean-up and disposal standards, verification, documentation and record-keeping. Not every contractor is willing or able to commit the time and expense necessary to become Lead-Safe Certified. For some, the cost of training and equipment is prohibitive. Others are not willing to risk the threat of business-killing penalties for violations. As a result, some contractors will no longer perform work on pre-1978 properties. The easiest way to verify that your contractor is Lead-Safe Certified is to request a copy of the certificate for both the firm and the Certified Renovator who will be supervising onsite. In the new regulatory reality, proof of Lead-Safe Certification is as important as proof of insurance. For much more complete and detailed information about the new Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule — including a database of frequently asked questions — visit www.epa.gov and search for “renovation, repair and painting rule.” CM Fred Schernecker is president of Schernecker Property Services, a fullservice, Lead-Safe Certified contractor that specializes in large capital improvement projects and contract property maintenance for New England community associations.

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CONDO MEDIA • MAY 2010


http://www.epa.gov

Condo Media - May 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Condo Media - May 2010

Condo Media - May 2010
Contents
From the CED’s Desk
Editorial Board
CAI News
CAI Regional News
Asked & Answered
Homeowner’s Corner
Operations
Legal
Management
Vendor Spotlight
Feature
Maintenance
Volunteer Spotlight
2010 CAI-NE Legal Directory
Classified Service Directory
Advertisers Index
Condo Media - May 2010 - CW1
Condo Media - May 2010 - CW2
Condo Media - May 2010 - Condo Media - May 2010
Condo Media - May 2010 - Cover2
Condo Media - May 2010 - Contents
Condo Media - May 2010 - From the CED’s Desk
Condo Media - May 2010 - 3
Condo Media - May 2010 - Editorial Board
Condo Media - May 2010 - 5
Condo Media - May 2010 - CAI News
Condo Media - May 2010 - 7
Condo Media - May 2010 - 8
Condo Media - May 2010 - 9
Condo Media - May 2010 - 10
Condo Media - May 2010 - 11
Condo Media - May 2010 - 12
Condo Media - May 2010 - 13
Condo Media - May 2010 - 14
Condo Media - May 2010 - 15
Condo Media - May 2010 - CAI Regional News
Condo Media - May 2010 - 17
Condo Media - May 2010 - 18
Condo Media - May 2010 - 19
Condo Media - May 2010 - 20
Condo Media - May 2010 - 21
Condo Media - May 2010 - Asked & Answered
Condo Media - May 2010 - 23
Condo Media - May 2010 - Homeowner’s Corner
Condo Media - May 2010 - 25
Condo Media - May 2010 - Operations
Condo Media - May 2010 - 27
Condo Media - May 2010 - Legal
Condo Media - May 2010 - 29
Condo Media - May 2010 - Management
Condo Media - May 2010 - 31
Condo Media - May 2010 - 32
Condo Media - May 2010 - 33
Condo Media - May 2010 - 34
Condo Media - May 2010 - 35
Condo Media - May 2010 - 36
Condo Media - May 2010 - 37
Condo Media - May 2010 - 38
Condo Media - May 2010 - 39
Condo Media - May 2010 - Vendor Spotlight
Condo Media - May 2010 - 41
Condo Media - May 2010 - Feature
Condo Media - May 2010 - 43
Condo Media - May 2010 - 44
Condo Media - May 2010 - 45
Condo Media - May 2010 - 46
Condo Media - May 2010 - 47
Condo Media - May 2010 - Maintenance
Condo Media - May 2010 - 49
Condo Media - May 2010 - Volunteer Spotlight
Condo Media - May 2010 - 51
Condo Media - May 2010 - 52
Condo Media - May 2010 - 2010 CAI-NE Legal Directory
Condo Media - May 2010 - 54
Condo Media - May 2010 - 55
Condo Media - May 2010 - 56
Condo Media - May 2010 - 57
Condo Media - May 2010 - Advertisers Index
Condo Media - May 2010 - 59
Condo Media - May 2010 - 60
Condo Media - May 2010 - 61
Condo Media - May 2010 - 62
Condo Media - May 2010 - 63
Condo Media - May 2010 - 64
Condo Media - May 2010 - Cover3
Condo Media - May 2010 - Cover4
Condo Media - May 2010 - CW3
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