AAMA continues to call for legislative review of LRRP rules

On July 13, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved the FY2012 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill, which included an approved amendment to "defund" Environmental Protection Agency Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting (LRRP) activities until an accurate test kit has been developed, according to a July 14 release from theAmerican Architectural Manufacturers Association.

AAMA officials continue to urge legislative leaders to review the $1.5 billion LRRP and amendment rules, and to contemplate the impact of these rules on the nation's employment rate, energy conservation, economic recovery, as well as the safety and health of residents.

"We remain determined to require a Congressional review of the mishandling of this rule," said Richard Walker, AAMA president and CEO, in the release. "The inability of the EPA to properly monitor compliance with the LRRP final rule and 'opt-out' amendment is now jeopardizing the very segment of the U.S. population deemed most 'at risk' by EPA's own assessment, in addition to impeding a recovery of construction jobs and energy efficient home retrofitting across the country."

"By the EPA's own account, the mandatory use of lead testing kits register false-positive readings in approximately 40 percent of homes tested, forcing the use of costly lead-safe practices where none are warranted," Walker said, in the release.

TheEPA is now proposing additional amendments to the LRRP, including Lead; Clearance and Clearance Testing Requirements for the Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program (scheduled for implementation in July 2011) and Lead; Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program for Public and Commercial Buildings (scheduled for implementation in 2013), The combined cost of these two proposed rules will likely exceed $1 billion, which AAMA argues will have devastating results for an already struggling construction/renovation industry revival.

"It is vital that the EPA and Congress understand the full impact that these regulations continue to have on the public and the construction industry as a whole," Walker emphasized.

Read the full AAMA release...