Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

February 20, 2014 - Enforcement actions, which led to more than $274,000 in civil penalties, will require 35 home renovation contractors and training providers to take additional steps to minimize harmful lead dust from home renovation activities as required by EPA Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Standards. Issued between May 2013 and Jan 2014, settlements cover failure to obtain certification, failure to follow lead-safe work practices, andfailure to ensure subcontractors follow RRP standards. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ariel Rios Building Washington, DC, 20460 USA Press release date: February 18, 2014

WASHINGTON The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced enforcement actions that will require 35 home renovation contractors and training providers to take additional steps to protect communities by minimizing harmful lead dust from home renovation activities, as required by the EPAs Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Standards. These standards provide important, front-line protection for children and others vulnerable to exposure to lead dust that can cause lead poisoning.

Families deserve the peace of mind that home renovations occur without harming children, said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPAs Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. Businesses that play by the rules deserve to compete on a level playing field. EPA will continue to enforce the nations lead rules to protect the public from illegal and dangerous lead exposure.

The settlements, issued between May 2013 and January 2014, include 17 contractors that failed to obtain required certification prior to performing renovation activities on pre-1978 homes, where lead is more likely to be present. In addition, 21 settlements involve violations for failure to follow required lead-safe work practices, and three cases involve general contractors who failed to ensure their subcontractors followed the RRP standards.

The enforcement actions, which all require contractors to certify compliance with the RRP standards, led to more than $274,000 in civil penalties.

Three of the companies agreed to fund environmental projects to benefit communities. HarenLaughlin Construction and Exterior Energy Consultants will fund lead abatement work at local properties, while the New Jersey Council of Community Colleges will provide tuition-free, EPA accredited training courses to renovators expected to work on projects impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

The RRP standards, which are part of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act, are intended to ensure that owners and occupants of housing built before 1978 and 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 that, during renovations, specific work practices are followed to reduce the potential for lead-based paint exposure.

Contractors that are certified under EPAs RRP standards are encouraged to display EPAs Lead-Safe logo on workers uniforms, signs, websites, and other material, as appropriate. Consumers can protect themselves by looking for the logo before hiring a home contractor.

Between May 2013 and January 2014, EPA has settled enforcement actions with the following companies:

Environmental Engineering & Technology, Inc. of Newport News, VA The Training Network, Inc. of Oak Hill, VA Professional Training Associates, Inc. of Duquesne, PA The Home Hero, LLC of Philadelphia, PA Thermo-Twin Industries, Inc. of Oakmont, PA Samuel M. Lewis of Columbus, OH Midwest College Painters, LLC of Bloomfield, MI D&S Construction of Western Ohio, LLC of Sidney, OH M&J Environmental Institute of Maple Grove, MN Hannegan Construction Company of St. Charles, MO HarenLaughlin Construction of Lenexa, KS Jason Madura of Warsaw, MO Nezerka Enterprises LLC d/b/a Certa Pro Painters of Shawnee Mission, KS James L. and Dona D. Jungers of Lincoln, NE Dennis Barker of Fairbury, NE Painting Done Right of Lincoln, NE Prudent Technologies, Inc. of Kansas City, MO Rothers Inc., d/b/a Rothers Design/Build of Kansas City, KS Ritchie Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Puroclean Emergency Restoration Services of Sullivan, MO Exterior Energy Consultants, Inc. of Gladstone, MO Philip Thornton and Stanley Thornton of Marshall, MO Van Dyk Construction of Littleton, CO Devex Construction LLC of Greenwood Village, CO Thomas Breuer Construction of Sioux Falls, SD Alaska Commercial Contractors, Inc. of Juneau, AK VanPool Painting, Inc. of Juneau, AK Kachina Contractor Solutions, LLC of Elkins Park, PA Collegiate Entrepreneurs, Inc. of Braintree, MA Bill Vizzo Contractors, LLC of Shelton, CT James J. Welch & Co., Inc. of Salem, MA New Hampshire Plate Glass Corp. of Portsmouth, NH Dura-Plex, Inc. of Brick, NJ Hernandez Painting of Hempstead, NY Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development / New Jersey Council of Community Colleges of Trenton, NJ Schryer Thompson Construction, Inc. of Concord, CA

Read more:
EPA Takes Action to Protect Public from Harmful Lead Exposure

Outdoor Lighting BTS

By: Alren Desoyo

Read more:
Outdoor Lighting BTS - Video

West Lake Hills taking on lighting issue
How bright is too bright--when it comes to lighting on your home? Some people living in West Lake Hills are asking city leaders to crack down on what they fe...

By: kxan

Go here to read the rest:
West Lake Hills taking on lighting issue - Video

Richmond, VA (PRWEB) February 19, 2014

Outdoor Living Brands has received World-Class Franchise certification from the Franchise Research Institute for all four of the organizations brands: Archadeck, Mosquito Squad, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, and Renew Crew.

This unprecedented recognition comes after independent surveys were conducted with each of the brands by the Franchise Research Institute, in which every franchisee was invited to participate. The survey was designed to determine the level of franchisee satisfaction within the Outdoor Living Brands franchise system and asked each franchise brand owner to rate their franchisor through a series of questions in categories such as overall quality, growth potential, support and communication.

One of the most important means of creating and maintaining a truly successful franchise company is to meet or exceed the expectations of its franchisees, says Jeff Johnson, founder and CEO of the Franchise Research Institute. A key step in this process is to obtain open, honest feedback from franchisees through confidential, third-party research. The management teams of each of the Outdoor Living Brands were not afraid to ask their franchise owners tough questions, and their high marks provide scientific proof that they are consistently meeting franchisees needs.

"Our team is extremely dedicated to coaching and mentoring our franchisees as they build their local businesses to pursue their personal career, lifestyle and financial goals, said Chris Grandpre, Chairman and CEO of Outdoor Living Brands, parent company of Archadeck, Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, Mosquito Squad and Renew Crew. While we commission the research each year to make sure we are factoring the voice of the franchisee into our efforts to improve the efficiency and profitability of each business, we couldnt be more delighted to earn this strong endorsement by our franchisees. We are incredibly optimistic about the future of each of these franchise systems and determined to assist each franchise to achieve their goals for their business.

More:
Outdoor Living Brands Awarded World-Class Franchise Distinction for Family of Brands

A 66-year-old Port St. Lucie man is in the hospital being treated for serious injuries he got while mowing his lawn.

Philip Ritchie Menard wasnt hurt by the mowers blade, but by an oncoming car that struck him as he finished mowing a line to the street and then stepped into the road to mow back the other way, Port St. Lucie Police spokesman Sgt. Frank Sabol said.

He had ear buds in, so he might not have heard her coming, Sabol said.

Menard was hit about 11:15 a.m. in front of his home in the 1900 block of SE Berkshire Blvd. He was struck by a 2011 Honda CRV driven by Lauretta Findlay, 71, of Fort Pierce, Sabol reported in a written statement.

Menard suffered head injuries and broken bones and was flown to a local trauma center for treatment, Sabol said. Findlay was shaken, but uninjured, Sabol said. No one has been charged as authorities continue to investigate the crash.

More:
Man, 66, goes out to mow lawn, gets hit by car in Port St. Lucie

How to Make Money in the Lawn Care Business part 2
How to make money in the Lawn Care Business part 2 : there are many things you can do to become profitable in the lawn care business, such as : First, know y...

By: G Packard

View post:
How to Make Money in the Lawn Care Business part 2 - Video

By Teresa McMinn

For the Daily Record/Sunday News

Sign tells customers 'Sold out of Seasoned Firewood' at Diehl's Landscaping and Lawn Care in York Township Tuesday. Demand for firewood has been up this winter and puts a drain on local supplies. (Paul Kuehnel Daily Record/Sunday News)

Recent ice and snowstorms have broken plenty of tree limbs across York County.

But the resulting wood supply, for now anyway, won't help those who'd prefer to burn firewood as an economical means for home heat, local experts say.

Ryan Shank, 24, of Manchester Township, and his stepfather, Wayne Diehl of Seven Valleys, operate Diehl's Landscaping and Lawn Care. In addition to selling firewood, the York Township-based business provides lawn mowing, snow plowing and storm cleanup services across York County.

Diehl primarily handles the mowing and plowing side of the business while Shank a Millersville University student who studies meteorology and works part-time at Jim and Nena's Pizzeria in Springettsbury Township splits firewood to sell.

In the fall, the company had roughly 150 cords of burnable firewood, Shank said. But that supply sold quickly as brutally cold temperatures and rising natural gas and electric prices made wood a popular alternative for home heating.

"The whole pile is gone," Shank said and added the business now only has firewood that needs to "season" for many months until it is suitable to burn.

Shank said he uses his passion for studying the weather to help predict what kind of work the business will encounter.

See more here:
Firewood supplies down despite high number of downed trees, limbs

TERRE HAUTE Sharing his story is exciting for a Dugger man who made history by becoming the first blind solo kayaker to travel the entire length of the Grand Canyon.

Lonnie Bedwell told the Terre Haute Rotary Club on Tuesday about his experience learning to kayak, and why he chose to make the journey down the Colorado River, accompanied by a support crew from Team River Runner.

To me, you can live in fear and pity, and do nothing, or, you can just live. I have chosen to live life, said Bedwell, who lost his eyesight in May 1997 in a hunting accident when a friend shot him in the face.

At the time, Bedwell had served nine years in the U.S. Navy. His prior military service made him a candidate for Team River Runner, which gives active duty service members and veterans an opportunity to find health, healing and new challenges through whitewater boating and other paddling sports.

Bedwell has worked with the Terre Haute chapter of TRR, located at Indiana State Universitys Sycamore Outdoor Center, where he learned how to handle a kayak despite his disability.

He made the 16-day journey through the Grand Canyon in August 2013. But it was 16 years ago that he lost his sight, and he had gained confidence in his own abilities during that time to feel that he could make the hazardous and physically demanding trip.

At all times while he was in the water, he was surrounded by a team of paddlers and followed by four support rafts. Through their verbal commands, Bedwell was able to navigate the entire trip, and he ended up swimming outside of his kayak only on two occasions near the end of the trip.

After losing his sight, Bedwell said, he was frustrated that he couldnt maintain his property as he had in the past. It was his 5-year-old daughter who took him to his lawnmower, guided him to his barn and watched as he drove around the barn with one hand touching the wall of the structure while he mowed down the weeds.

Later that day, he said, his father got mad at him for taking on the lawn mowing, but Bedwell pointed out the faith of his youngest daughter, who knew he could still do anything he wanted to do. Bedwell said his other two daughters quickly caught on to challenge their father and help him do regular activities.

Those three little girls refused to let me quit, he said. Just to know somebody believes in you makes all the difference in the world. And thats what Team River Runners does for me.

See the original post:
Navy veteran recounts tale of kayak trip through Grand Canyon

Controverski: Sochi, gay rights Russia-bashing
In this special programme a trio of guests discuss the political fuss over the Winter Olympics in Sochi with a volunteer crew. From toothpaste tube terror pa...

By: worldwrite

See original here:
Controverski: Sochi, gay rights & Russia-bashing - Video

It #39;s (not) about landscape architecture: Mary Scipioni at TEDxRochester
Mary Adelaide Scipioni is a NYS Registered Landscape Architect and Associate Adjunct Professor at RIT #39;s Golisano Institute for Sustainability, where she teac...

By: TEDxTalks

Link:
It's (not) about landscape architecture: Mary Scipioni at TEDxRochester - Video