Apr 17, 2014 5:00pm

WASHINGTON Home improvement giant Lowes Companies Inc. has agreed to pay $500,000 after federal investigators found its home renovation contractors in nine states had violated safety standards for lead paint. The retail chain was also unable to provide documentation proving some contractors employed by the company were certified to work with the toxic substance, the Environmental Protection Agency and Justice Department said today.

The investigation by the EPA stemmed from tips and complaints from homeowners who had used Lowes renovation contractors. In reviews of company records the government found contractors had not used EPA-approved lead-test kits on projects, or lacked proper training to work with the hazardous element known to cause developmental problems in children and kidney and cardiovascular illness in adults.

The EPA also found contractors had failed to properly clean and contain work areas in three homes, although the agency emphasized they had not found any direct cases of bodily harm in the course of their investigation. The punishment sought against Lowes was more cautionary, they said. Officials also stated the violations were not company-wide, but isolated to certain brick-and-mortar stores discovered in their investigation.

This is not to send an alarm signal that people who have had work repairs done should be alarmed about this, Acting Assistant Attorney General Robert Dreher said in a conference call with reporters today.

EPA Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles said it sent a clear message to companies to comply with the toxic materials standard.

Lowes is taking responsibility for the actions of the firms it hires, and EPA expects other contractors to do the same, she said.

The officials pointed homeowners to the EPA website for fact sheets on protective measures and red flags to watch out for when working with lead-based materials.

Lowes says they have always sought to comply with the EPAs Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule standards since they were enacted in 2008, and have resolved all issues alleged by the EPA.

Lowes hires thousands of independent, third-party contractors and the EPA identified only a few who failed to meet certain record keeping or work practice requirements regarding lead-based paint, a Lowes spokesperson told ABC News. There have never been any reports of lead-based paint health issues associated with any projects completed by Lowes contractors.

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Lowe's Settles EPA Lead Paint Violations By Its Contractors

Washington DC - infoZine - Lowes Home Centers has agreed to implement a comprehensive, corporate-wide compliance program at its over 1,700 stores nationwide to ensure that the contractors it hires to perform work minimize lead dust from home renovation activities, as required by the federal Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule. The company will also pay a $500,000 civil penalty, which is the largest ever for violations of the RRP Rule.

The settlement stems from violations, discovered by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspectors, of the RRP Rules recordkeeping and work practice standards at private homes that had been renovated by Lowes contractors. EPA enforces the RRP and other lead rules to protect children and others who are vulnerable to exposure to lead dust that can cause lead poisoning.

The government complaint alleged that Lowes failed to provide documentation showing that specific contractors had been certified by EPA, had been properly trained, had used lead-safe work practices, or had correctly used EPA-approved lead test kits at renovation sites. Additionally, EPAs investigation found that Lowes had also failed to ensure that work areas had been properly contained and cleaned during renovations at three homes. EPAs investigation was prompted by tips and complaints submitted by the public.

In addition to the civil penalty, Lowes must implement a comprehensive compliance program to ensure that the contractors it hires to perform work for its customers comply with the RRP Rule during renovations of any child-occupied facilities, such as day-care centers and pre-schools, and any housing that was built before 1978. For these projects, Lowes must contract with only EPA-certified renovators, ensure they maintain certification, and ensure they use lead safe work practices checklists during renovations. In addition, Lowes must suspend anyone that is not operating in compliance with the rule, investigate all reports of potential noncompliance, and ensure that any violations are corrected.

The RRP Rule, which implements the federal Toxic Substances Control Act, is intended to ensure that owners and occupants of housing built before 1978, as well as any child-occupied facilities, receive information on lead-based paint hazards before renovations begin, that individuals performing such renovations are properly trained and certified by EPA, and follow specific work practices to reduce the potential for lead-based paint exposure. Home improvement companies such as Lowes that contract with renovators to perform renovation work for their customers must ensure that those contractors comply with all of the requirements of the RRP Rule.

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Lowes Settles with EPA Over Lead Pollution Violations During Home Renovations

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A Shelton painting company will pay a $2,200 federal fine for failing to comply with lead-based paint renovation requirements during work on a home project, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Bill Vizzo Contractors LLC/Michaels Painting violated the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act, and the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule when during renovation work at a Monroe residence, EPA officials said.

The settlement with the Shelton contractor was one of a few in New England recently announced by the EPA.

In a press release, EPA officials said the settlements are intended to ensure that businesses performing painting and home renovation work comply with requirements designed to protect children from exposure to lead-based paint.

The EPAs RRP Rule is designed to prevent exposure to lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards, especially for children and infants. The rule requires individuals performing renovations for compensation at most pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities to be properly trained.

There are certification and training requirements for individual renovators and firms performing renovations to ensure that safe work practices are followed during renovations.

Infants and childrens developing bodies are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of lead exposure, which can include lifelong impacts such as developmental impairment, learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, hyperactivity and behavioral problems, said Curt Spalding, EPA regional administrator for New England.

Another settlement in Connecticut announced by the EPA involved Norwalk-based East Coast Pros LLC of Norwalk, for 2012 renovation work at the First Congregational Church on the Green in Norwalk, which includes the Lil Critters Preschool facility. East Coast Pros will pay a fine of $3,577.

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Shelton painting contractor fined by the EPA for lead-paint violations

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10:12pm: Exclusive: Channel 7 cameraman Rob Brown captures the moment Oscar Pistorius is hugged and handed a bunch of flowers by a well-wisher outside court as journalist Laurel Irving does her piece to camera.

9:43pm: In a brief comment as he passed reporters still waiting in court, Pistorius just said: "It's hard."

9:41pm: With that, the court adjourns.

As Pistorius left the court, a woman handed him a bunch of flowers and hugged him, before he was bundled into a waiting vehicle.

So after an incredible week, we will be back in Pretoria on Monday.

It will be a lonely weekend for Pistorius, who cannot consult his lawyers as he remains under cross-examination.

9:36pm: Nel: You knew Reeva was behind the door and you shot her. That's the only thing that makes sense.

OP: That's not true, my lady.

9:36pm: Pistorius' voice is quivering as he's asked to recount sequence of events, telling the court he thought he'd heard "wood moving", thought it was the "door opening".

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Oscar Pistorius trial: prosecutor resumes cross-examination of athlete