14 DAY TRIAL // Recent news from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) informs us that, as a result of having failed to notify citizens with respect to lead hazards on as many as 41 occasions, a painting company is now to pay a $7,200 (€5,748) penalty and financially support an environmental project for a school in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
According to EPA's official press release on this matter, the College Pro Painters company was required by law to inform several home owners in the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire that some of its on-going projects will result in hazardous lead dust being released into the air.
As well as this, the company failed in providing these citizens with pamphlets explaining how best to deal with the threats posed to their health by said lead paint.
Given the fact that lead exposure is known to harm especially children and pregnant women, several laws are especially designed to help prevent any unfortunate incidents from happening.
Thus, the Pre-Renovation Rules states that companies working on buildings erected before 1978 notify either owners or occupants of potential threats prior to moving forward with their activities, especially if the working area disturbs more than 6 square feet of interior or 20 square feet of exterior painted surface.
Interestingly enough, it seems that EPA itself sent College Pro Painters detailed explanations of what the Pre-Renovations Rules are all about back in June 2006, so it comes as only logical that the Agency now considers that said painting company has virtually no excuse for its not abiding by the requirements listed under this environmental act.
Besides paying the aforementioned penalty, College Pro Painters is to also provide money for replacing and restoring 79 windows at a school in Cambridge, US, which are thought to contain lead paint. The costs for this environmental project which is to soon be undertaken at the Harvard Hillel Children’s School will amount to about $65,000 (€5,748).
Hopefully, this will serve as an example for other companies that risk public health by not properly informing citizens with respect to how their activities impact on the environment.