Sacramento Roof Company Supports Lead Safety Rule Reform

SACRAMENTO, CA, July 17, 2012 (Press-News.org) Yancey Home Improvement, Sacramento roof company has announced its support for the Lead Exposure Reduction Amendment Act of 2012 (H.R. 5911). The goal of the amendment act is to improve on the current RRP rule by clarifying the the definition of terms used on the law.

First enacted in 2010, the Renovation Repair and Painting (RRP) rule aimed to protect homeowners from the harmful effects of lead-contaminated dust and waste released during most home improvement projects. The RRP law required contractors to secure a certification from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) before the former can conduct any projects on pre-1978 homes.

Last June 7, Representatives John Sullivan (OK) and Tim Murphy (PA), along with 9 other bipartisan co-sponsors pushed for the Lead Exposure Reduction Amendment Act of 2012 (H.R. 5911). The bill aims to shift the focus back on pregnant women and children. The most notable provisions proposed by the bill are:

* Suspension of the RRP rule until the government approves commercially available test kit.
* Create provisions for emergency projects.
* The reinstatement of the provision allowing homeowners to decide if a contractor should comply with the RRP rule should there be no children and pregnant women in the house.

The provision which allowed homeowners without children and pregnant women to do away with the RRP work practices was abolished in July 2010. This inevitably created an annual compliance cost of 336 million dollars as the homes subject to the rule doubled in number.

Earlier this year, Oklahoma Senator, James Inhofe introduced the Lead Exposure Amendment Act of 2012 (S.2148) which also pushed for a number of changes with the RRP law. "we have a bill that will make sure that those who are most vulnerable to lead exposure receive the full health protections in this rule." Inhofe said. Among the significant amendments proposed by Inhofe are the following:

* Provisions to define which emergency renovation projects are exempted from the RRP rule.
* Prohibition of the post-abatement clearance testing
* Allow homeowners without children and pregnant women to opt-out from the RRP practices
* Elimination of the hands-on training requirements.

The necessity for the RRP law has sparked many debates among contractors and legislators. While the law was enacted to protect homeowners, it also created much confusion for contractors and homeowners, who for the first time had to observe strict compliance to the RRP provisions. Overtime, the law began to draw flack from contractors who saw the amendment as "poorly-written."

This year alone, the EPA has already collected over $17,000 in fines from three separate RRP violations. Last March 21, 2012, Colin Wentsworth paid $10,000 to settle an RRP complaint. The crew working on Wentsworth 1850's apartment allegedly used power equipment to scrape the exterior paint. A total of $7058 were collected from two separate home improvement contractors.

"Yancey Home Improvements supports the interest of homeowners and Sacramento roof contractors. If there is room for improvement for the RRP rule, our company is willing to support any changes." A Yancey Home Improvements official said.

About us
Rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau, Yancey Home Improvements is a leading roofing company in Sacramento. It specializes in roof repairs, installations, and replacement of asphalt shingle, metal, wood shake, IPO, and other types of roof.

Yancey Home Improvements
8250 Alpine Avenue, Suite A
Sacramento, CA 95826
Phone: (888) 378-7628
Email: info@yanceyhomeimprovements.com