EPA Issues New Lead Paint Safety Rules

Contractors who are renovating old homes and buildings where children may be exposed to lead paint will face tighter workplace restrictions under new standards announced Monday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The new rules -- which will take effect in April 2010 and are designed to prohibit practices that create harmful lead dust and debris -- apply to contractors who are renovating or repairing residences, child-care facilities, and schools that were built before 1978. The Associated Press reports that a number of U.S. Senate Democrats have criticized the EPA's action, in part because the new standards do not apply to homes in which children over six years of age reside.

• New Requirements to Protect Children from Lead-Based Paint Hazards (EPA Newsroom)
• EPA Issues New Rules on Lead Paint (Associated Press)
• Where Lead Can Be Found (FindLaw)
• Lead Poisoning: Health and Legal Information (FindLaw)
• Contractors and Home Improvement (FindLaw)