This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Housing & Urban Development announced new lead dust standards as part of the Trump Administration's Federal Lead Action Plan, which was announced in April. EPA is lowering the dust-lead hazard standards from 40 micrograms of lead per square foot (µg/ft2) to 10 µg/ft2 on floors and from 250 µg/ft2 to 100 µg/ft2 on window sills. This is a significant change that will apply to inspections, risk assessments, and abatement activities in pre-1978 housing and certain schools, child care facilities, and hospitals across the country. Many buildings constructed before the 1978 lead paint ban in residential housing by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are likely to have lead-based paint, so inspections are required to certify a lead-free environment following building upgrades, unit turnovers, and maintenance projects. The new lead dust standard will take effect 180 days after it is published in the Federal Register. For the full text of EPA's announcement, click here.
KEM conducts thorough on-site lead investigations for building owners and property managers, beginning with a site visit within 24 hours of a client request. Working with accredited, independent laboratories for all of our sample analysis, KEM helps clients design and execute abatement or in-place management, including:
Development of lead abatement specifications and lead-safe work plans.
Oversight & evaluation of bidding process.
Contractor selection.
Air and dust monitoring during abatement to comply with OSHA regulations.
Photographic and written documentation of the abatement process.