Lead paint cleaning.. a Bigger liability problem.

Sirocco Jerry

Sirocco Jerry

Active member
Environmental Protection Agency​

has announced..
Effective April 22, 2010,
the EPA has passed new laws regarding
the disturbing andpower washing of lead based paint.
Fines begin at $37,500
And include possible jail time for each violation.
There can be additional violations for each different surface disturbed on the same job site resulting in millions of dollars in fines.
The EPA at the moment says hydroblasting,
i.e. power washing, must be done by a Certified Lead Abatement Supervisor to even attempt power washing and containment of the water, paint chips etc. :triniti::eek:ink:
Wisconsin has completely banned all power washing of lead based paint.
The PWNA is still researching the implications this has on the power washing industry.
We will update our members as information becomes available.

Dan Galvin, President, Power Washers of North America

..and handed-off by..
 
What does this mean to us power washers?

Are we not allowed to power wash a house that may have Lead Based Paint?

I have a condo complex up for bid that we need to power wash and it was built in 1967 and LEAD PAINT REGULATIONS DO APPLY.

What do I need to do? Can I / Should I bid on this? Do I need the paint tested first? Do I need to be Lead Abatement Certified?
 
You can take the lead supervisor class. It is a four day course for $700.
 
http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm

"Under the rule, beginning April 22, 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination."

The only people I've heard say you need certification to just wash are the ones that teach the classes. If you are PWing prior to painting to remove loose paint that's disturbing. I'm guessing the feds would interpret any PW as disturbing to justify their existence.

I think we will stay clear of building washes of property built prior to 78 until this is clarified or challenged. We seldom get calls for this anyway. Once again it's about $$$. Fines, classes, justifying govt jobs etc. Homeowners are exempt so somehow the lead they disturb doesn't hurt anyone.

With a multi-family project I would be VERY careful. Read the link.

By the way if there is lead it requires RECOVERY and disposal. How much cost would that add?
 
Just talked to a painter and pw in MA. will not pressure washing or paint any building pior to 1978
 
We have just gotten a company kicked off a property for not adhering to the rules set out for this. With that said, let me tell you WHY I stuck my nose into it.

Lead poisoning in children is one of the scariest things you can experience as a parent (been there done that - moved out!)

The house that is catty-corner to us has been in terrible shape since we purchased our property. Recently it sold and renovations began. Since I am painfully familiar with the sound of a pressure washer, last Wednesday night, I heard one crank up at that house. Call me nosy, call me a responsible professional, call me whatever - what I was was PISSED. We have 2 Jose Jalapeno's on a stick, little "push me pull you" water squirter blasting lead chips all over the place. No PPE, no barrier on the ground - NO REGARD to the 2-year old child playing 20 ft from their wash area.

I, in perfect "crazy white woman" form begin yelling for them to stop. No english....yeay. Then, here comes their "boss". She and I have words (to my neighbor's amusement). I win, they shut down......until 5:30 the next afternoon------GRRRRRR.

Off I go again (mind you I AM taking photos like a maniac) - this time I inform the homeowner of the laws and rules he is breaking. He calls her over - I win - they stop again.

People doing this work with zero regard for what the later affects are should all be criminally charged :( The certification course is not overly expensive nor is it more time consuming than one day.

Anyone washing these poisons onto and into the ground is irresponsible and uncaring. There is NO excuse for this type of negligence. For once, North Carolina was AHEAD of this national legislation and we have been educated on this issue for years prior to the new enforcement by the EPA. Will everyone get certified? No. Not everyone (including the paint company referred to by ScottWash) will perform work on buildings prior to 1978 - but for the companies that DO choose to go this route - there is bank to be made. This will separate you from the hacks in a huge way.......because in every neighborhood, there is a psycho mom like me watching.
 

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I say we just nock down every building built prior to 1978 and take the lead and all to the dump! Or you can do what I do and soft wash with 100 psi and a garden hose! I wonder how many millions where spent on research and lobbying for this? I also wonder who or what the reasoning is? And if you think its really safety of our kids China would be cut off from sending anything to the U.S. drywall toys and all.
 
At least the kids have manners there eating the paint chips on a plate instead of just grabbing a handful like over here. hahahahahaha j/k.

It is good that people are standing up for the right thing, especially when there are children close by.
 
And this sort of response to seriousness is why I went away. You guys keep up the good work of making our industry look like a bunch of uneducated, unprofessional, uncaring hacks. You want to complain about stupid crap then just cover up the important things that you don't want to do.

Sorry I wasted my time coming back.
 
I'm personally glad psycho moms are out there. I understand the dangers of lead especially to young children.

My issue is no clear definition of washing vs paint prep. I think the terms power and pressure probably add to the problem even though we use very low pressure and cleaning detergents to clean a building. So having a "Indy Power Wash" truck out front and trying to say I'm only soft washing is probably a tough sell. We will stay away from even washing these jobs. The home depot car trunk washers will still do them. There are very few resident psycho moms that know anything about this. My guess 99% would just be glad the old house was being fixed up.

The only reason I won't get certified is I can't imagine a homeowner being willing to pay for recovery. A business yes. We quoted flatwork for a 130k s/f building last week. They also wanted all the loose paint knocked off the ceiling. I explained the law and they said they already had 2 prices and no one said anything about lead and the building is 50 years old. This is a huge corporation and the rep said there was no way they would be interested in a price if they had to pay for recovery and disposal. They'd rather do nothing.

Just curious does the NC law exempt the homeowners like the fed law?
 
Technically the Fed law doesn't "exempt" homeowners from any part of the rules except the actual certification course. NO ONE is exempt from properly collecting and disposing - it's hazmat, period. This project (in my backyard) prompted calls to 3 different levels of authorities because the homeowner was trying to circumvent EVERYTHING and everyone. Today he will meet not only the City Code enforcement officers, but the State Health hazard control unit and the State OSHA office. NC entities take this very seriously and have for years - probably considering the large number of older properties in our state.

You guys know me well enough that if I am going to go spout off about something, I am well researched before I open my mouth. I provided this homeowner with plenty of information. He still chose to have his cleaning hacks back. Bad idea as he is now facing considerably more costs. I want to feel badly for the little old man, but when he said he didn't care about the lead paint peeling all over the door jamb he was leaning on (since he already has cancer) - well, the gloves are off now. You don't mess with my children's health. :(
 
Just to clarify a bit of the gray area - washing doesn't necessarily "disturb" the paint (raining white flakes was a pretty safe indicator of disturbance in this case). There are MANY properties where the paint has been maintained (which means the top layer is very likely much newer paint). A test kit is all of about $5 for two testers....keep one in your truck if there is ever a question.
 
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