EPA: New Lead Safe Home Renovation Rules

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - New lead safe rules will protect kids and adults from the devastating effects of lead poisoning. The Environmental Protection Agency wants to protect the most vulnerable people in our community, kids under six and pregnant women.

Starting April 22, many home renovations will have to be done completely different. The new rules apply to homes built before 1978. There are about 900,000 in the metro or 25 percent of homes in the country. Those homes are most likely to have lead.

When you hire a contractor to renovate your home, they have to give you a pamphlet on lead safe practices.

The contractor has to build a containment area, so dust doesn't travel all over the home. They also have to use a special vacuum to suck up the small dust particles. Then they have to clean up in a special way and there's a special test to make sure the lead dust is wiped away.

Contractors have to pay for this special training and special equipment, which means the cost will be passed on and renovation jobs will be more expensive than last year.

Safety officials say the cost doesn't compare to what it means for everyone's health. Marjean Hoeft with Sustainable Resources Center says "the more usual way of kids being contaminated is through the dust. Everytime you open a window and close a window it then gets in their lungs and can cause a lot of learning disabilities, challenges and asthma."

The EPA is starting a public service announcement campaign at the beginning of April. If the EPA finds out a contractor is not complying with the new rules, they will be fined $37,500 a day.