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Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Utah were part of the settlement because they have EPA-authorized renovation, repair and painting programs. Now discover a whole new online account, built to give you more control over your card and your time. Home Depot will also provide information on how to work with lead-based paint at its stores, website and YouTube page, the statement added. Home renovation companies that subcontracted with Home Depot are accused of cutting corners during renovations. Home renovation companies that sub-contracted with Home Depot are accused of cutting corners during renovations.
The use of lead paint in homes was banned in 1978 because of serious health risks. But it still remains in older residences and can pose a hazard if the paint is disrupted during remodeling, the EPA said. Home Depot's fine of $20.75 million is the highest civil penalty obtained to date for a settlement under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Of this, $750,000 will be paid to Utah, $732,000 to Massachusetts, and $50,000 to Rhode Island. The Atlanta company announced in 2017 that it was the subject of a probe by the EPA's criminal investigation division into its compliance with lead-safe work practices.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department announced Thursday they have reached a settlement with Home Depot over lead paint violations across the country. Products are recalled because the CPSC has determined that they present a danger to consumers. For products sold at a store such as Home Depot, it could be a gas grill that leaks propane, leading to a dangerous explosion, or a chemical that has dangerous fumes, or even an electric saw that does not have adequate safety guards in place to someone from getting hurt. A ladder could be made with a batch of bad wood, causing someone to fall, or the coating on electrical wire could be defective, leading to a risk of fire.
However, it is important to remember that given the size of these corporations, the fines in questions are not particularly big. EPA discovered the alleged violations when investigating five customer complaints about Home Depot renovations in Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Lead exposure can cause a multitude of health problems, from behavioral disorders and learning disabilities to seizures and death, putting young children at the greatest risk because their nervous systems are still developing. The settlement also requires Home Depot to provide information about lead-safe work practices to its professional and do-it-yourself customers in its stores, on its website, on YouTube, and in workshops.
Home Depot Fined $20 Million For Allegedly Violating Lead Paint Rules
The Consumer Product Safety Act is designed to protect Americans from dangerous or defective products. It prohibits any person or company from selling products that are subject to “voluntary corrective action,” which is also known as a recall. In 2008, Congress amended the Act to bar the sale of recalled product, but the CPSC has only recently begun to enforce this provision through the issuance of large penalties.
Home Depot has reached a settlement with two federal agencies, agreeing to pay a $20 million fine because its contractors failed to properly handle lead paint in customers' homes. I agree to receive my billing statements and other legal notices electronically as available. I understand that when I receive an electronic notice it will replace a paper copy. I also understand that I will need to check both my U.S. postal mailbox and email inbox for legal notices until you let me know by email that all legal notices will be sent electronically. WASHINGTON — Home Depot will also pay a $20.75 million penalty, the highest civil penalty obtained to date for a settlement under the Toxic Substances Control Act, for not following using lead-safe practices during home renovations.
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Home Depot released a written statement saying, "These instances do not represent our high standards and expectations. When we found out about this, we moved quickly to contact all customers who might have been impacted and we significantly strengthened our lead safety systems and approach." In a statement, Home Depot said, "These instances do not represent our high standards and expectations. When we found out about this, we moved quickly to contact all customers who might have been impacted and we significantly strengthened our lead safety systems and approach." These instances do not represent our high standards and expectations.
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Under the settlement, Home Depot will implement a company-wide program to ensure that the contractors it hires to perform work for its customers comply with the RRP Rule during renovations of homes built before 1978. To do this, Home Depot is implementing an electronic compliance system to verify that the contractors it hires are properly certified. Home Depot will also require its contractors to use a detailed checklist to document compliance and provide the completed checklist to the customer. The checklist will lead the contactors through the steps required for RRP Rule compliance. Home Depot will also conduct thousands of on-site inspections of work performed by its contractors to ensure they comply with lead-safe work practices. In instances where the contractor did not comply with Lead Safe Work practices Home Depot will perform an inspection for dust lead hazards and, if they are found, provide a specialized cleaning.
The settlement is expected to significantly reduce children's exposure to lead paint hazards. It was found that the company subcontracted work to firms that in some cases did not use lead-safe work practices, perform required post-renovation cleaning, provide the EPA-required lead-based paint pamphlets to occupants, or maintain records of compliance with the law. Residential lead-based paint use was banned in 1978 but still remains in many older homes and apartments across the country. Lead dust hazards can occur when lead paint deteriorates or is disrupted during home renovation and remodeling activities. Lead exposure can cause a range of health problems, from behavioral disorders and learning disabilities to seizures and death, putting young children at the greatest risk because their nervous systems are still developing.
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When we found out about this, we moved quickly to contact all customers who might have been impacted and we significantly strengthened our lead safety systems and approach. For the most serious violations addressed by the settlement, Home Depot offered its customers inspections using certified professionals and, if dust lead hazards were found, it performed specialized cleaning and verification. Residential lead-based paint was banned in 1978 but still remains in many older dwellings.
A blood lead test is the only way to determine if a child has a high lead level. Parents who think their child has been in contact with lead dust should contact their child's health care provider. EPA said that while investigating customer complaints about Home Depot renovations, it found the company subcontracted work to firms that did not use lead-safe work practices. It also did not perform required post-renovation cleaning, give EPA pamphlets on lead-based pain to occupants, or maintain records of compliance with the law, the agency said. EPA then conducted a comprehensive review of Home Depot’s records of renovations performed throughout the United States and identified hundreds of instances in which Home Depot sent uncertified firms to perform renovations that required certified and trained firms. In addition, EPA identified instances in which Home Depot failed to establish, retain, or provide compliance documentation showing that specific contractors had been certified by EPA, had been properly trained, and had used lead-safe work practices in projects performed in homes.
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