The US Department of Justice announced Thursday that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement agreement with Home Depot over its failure to follow rules involving lead paint in renovations.
The complaint was lodged in Atlanta and claimed that Home Depot had violated the Toxic Substances Control Act. According to the complaint, Home Depot was contracted to renovate homes built pre-1978 that needed to be tested for lead paint. Although such renovations needed to be completed by companies certified by the EPA or the state, it was found that Home Depot’s crews were improperly trained on how to handle lead paint.
According to the settlement, Home Depot will have to pay $20,750,000—the largest civil penalty ever imposed under the Act. Utah will receive $750,000, Massachusetts will receive $732,000 and Rhode Island will receive $50,000. Home Depot will also have to implement “a comprehensive, corporate-wide program to ensure that the firms and contractors it hires to perform work are certified and trained to use lead-safe work practices to avoid spreading lead dust and paint chips during home renovation activities.”
As part of that program, Home Depot will have to electronically verify that the persons it hires are certified. It must also provide safety information about lead paint-related renovations to both the people it employs and the customers who intend to do their own renovations. Such safety information will be available on its website, in stores and on YouTube. It will serve to protect clients and their children.
Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, Susan Bodine, said:
Today’s settlement will significantly reduce children’s exposure to lead paint hazards. Home Depot will implement system-wide changes to ensure that contractors who perform work in homes constructed before 1978 are EPA-certified and follow lead-safe practices. EPA expects all renovation companies to ensure their contractors follow these critical laws that protect public health.
The consent decree is subject to public comments for 30 days before it gains final approval.
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