April 20th, 2013 - New York, NY
EPA Certified Renovators,
For those of you not following the calendar too closely, April 20, 2013 marks the three-year anniversary of the Environmental Protection Agency's implementation of the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Program Final Rule. Three years of RRP! So to the federal government, all of the RRP training providers, and the various contractors, renovators and painters who have taken the RRP class and are committed to lead-safe renovation practices, we at Green Education Services want to say thank you for doing your part!
As an industry, we have certainly learned a lot about this rule in the last three years. We have learned that rules and regulations can be subject to change, like in October 2011 with vertical containment requirements being written into the Rule and the Opt-Out Provision being written out; we have learned that implementing a federal regulation and keeping it consistent across the country is in itself, a very difficult endeavor; and despite all this, we have learned that the RRP Rule is here to stay, as lead poisoning is still a problem that is far from being resolved, and at the heart of this Rule is the health and safety of our children.
Environmental rules and regulations should not be viewed as a burden or as a necessary part of doing business. Not to be overly dramatic about it, but I always remind my RRP students that compliance with the RRP Rule is not meant to cause them grief, or make their businesses lose money, or in general, make their lives more difficult. Truly at the core of all of these environmental rules and regulations is the health and safety of everyone involved in the project, from the contractor and his workers to the customers and their kids. If we focus on the good that is being accomplished by following the RRP Rule, it is easier to deal with some of the difficulties staying compliant with new regulations.
Part of staying compliant with the RRP Rule is attending an RRP Refresher Course and re-registering your company with the EPA or EPA-Authorized State before your certification expires. The RRP Refresher Course will provide EPA Certified Renovators with a review of the RRP Rule requirements, covering topics such as containment, prohibited work practices, and personal protective equipment. Two important hands-on activities, testing for lead-based paint and the cleaning verification procedure, will also be reviewed.
The initial RRP certificate is valid for five years with the EPA, and the date that you attend a refresher training course will be your new renewal date going forward.
Also, keep in mind that some EPA Authorized States running their own RRP Program, such as Georgia and Wisconsin, only validate RRP certificates for three and four years, respectively, so refresher courses will be needed a little earlier in those areas. You can verify your expiration dates by checking right on your actual certificate you received in class and on the EPA or Authorized State firm certificate.
For more information or to sign up for an RRP Refresher Course, you can call our office at 1-800-355-1751, or register online at www.greenedu.com. As always, Green Education Services is here to meet your environmental safety training needs!