A new Environmental Protection Agency regulation will go into effect this month requiring renovation and repair contractors to be certified to work with lead paint hazards if they will work on a residential property built before 1978 in which lead-based paint will be disturbed. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that this could be as many as 35 million homes. For those consumers concerned about green home issues, as well as all home owners and buyers, please read on.

The rule also applies to places where children under six spend large amounts of time, such as child care centers and schools. The certified contractor must provide the occupants (owner or tenant) with a new information booklet and must follow lead safe work practices.

There are several important exemptions to this rule:

1. Homeowner occupants or tenant occupants may do the work themselves without certification.

2. A residence where there are no children under 6 and no pregnant women as regular residents is a possible exemption.

3. If the area disturbed is less than 6 square feet indoors or 20 square feet outdoors, the project is exempt. Because lead paint was so prevalent on window frames in pre-1978 houses, window replacement on these homes is never exempt.

4. If a qualified lead test specialist certifies that no lead paint will be disturbed, the project is exempt.

5. There are a few additional less likely exemptions.

The required disclosure booklet is to be provided by the contractor, but you may wish to have it for your reference as well. You can get it at http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf (English) or http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochuresp.pdf (Spanish).