Galveston Historical Foundation To Offer RRP Certification Course For Professionals Invoved In Lead-Safe Work Techniques

Galveston Historical Foundation, through a Partners in the Field grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the City of Galveston, with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, are co-sponsoring an RRP Certification course on August 21, 2010 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ashton Villa (2328 Broadway). The class is being taught by Glenn Ray of RTC of Louisiana, LLC. Training is provided through the National Center for Healthy Homes. Mandated cost of the class is $237 including lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has enacted new rules to ensure that painters and contractors working on any pre-1978 homes, schools, day care centers and anywhere children are regularly present are practicing lead-safe work techniques. According to these new rules, any worker disrupting as little as six square feet of lead paint needs to become certified or face thousands of dollars in fines.

The new rules require that contractors such as painters, plumbers, electricians, window replacement installers, and others in fields that could disrupt lead paint during their work need to have their Renovation, Repair, and Paint (RRP) Certificate. Individuals can receive an RRP Certificate by attending a one-day training session from an EPA-accredited provider and then be registered with the EPA. These certifications are good for five years. Originally, the EPA mandated that contractors had until April 22, 2010 to be certified, but due to the backlog of people trying to become certified they have extended this deadline until October 1, 2010.

Those interested in registering for the class should contact Matt Farragher at Galveston Historical Foundation at 409-765-3424 or matt.farragher@galvestonhistory.org . The deadline for registration is August 19 at 5 p.m.

For more information on the new lead paint rules visit the EPA website at www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/toolkits.htm and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s resource page at www.preservationnation.org/issues/lead-paint/new-rule.html

For a printable registration form, click here.