SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Environmental Protection…
“Nearly one million children in America
today have dangerous levels of lead in their blood, and old
household paint is the primary source,” said Jared
Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator of EPA’s Pacific Southwest
region. “It is crucial for landlords to provide information
about lead hazards so that tenants can protect their families from
lead poisoning.”
Under the settlement, the firm who owns and
manages the properties is required to pay a $7,500 penalty and must
spend $67,500 on window replacements at its properties. Testing is
to be conducted at the properties and windows found to contain lead
will be replaced with energy efficient ones. The project must be
completed within one year and every three months J.D. Home Rentals
must report back to EPA on its progress.
EPA inspectors found that the firm failed to
provide information to tenants about prior lead hazards before
leasing certain units. In addition, J.D. Home Rentals did not have
tenants sign forms showing that they received disclosures about
lead. These failures resulted in violations of the federal Toxic
Substances Control Act.
The 12 properties where the violations were
identified serve predominately low income, Latino and Hmong
families. Of the 31 violations discovered, more than half were at
units occupied by children under the age of six years. This
inspection was one of several that EPA conducted at property
management firms throughout Fresno County that rent older housing
that may have significant risk of lead hazards. EPA places a high
priority on addressing environmental health risks that
disproportionately affect children and environmental justice
communities.
The federal government banned lead-based paint
from housing in 1978. Children under six years of age are among the
most vulnerable to the harmful effects from lead-based paint and
lead hazards. Health problems from exposure to lead can include
profound developmental and neurological impairment in
children.
Federal law requires that persons and entities
that sell or rent housing built before 1978 provide lead hazard
information to buyers or tenants. In addition, contractors who work
on such housing or child-occupied facilities must be certified by
EPA if they perform significant renovation, repair or
painting.
For additional information on lead in paint,
dust and soil and the Toxic Substances Control Act requirements,
please visit the EPA web site at: https://www.epa.gov/lead
- ### -
Follow the U.S. EPA's Pacific Southwest region
on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EPAregion9 and join the LinkedIn group: http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1823773/