WASHINGTON, DC– As part of EPA’s effort to determine if renovation, repair, and painting (RRP) activities in public and commercial buildings (P&CBs) create a lead-based paint hazard, EPA is seeking public comment on “Approach for Estimating Exposures and Incremental Health Effects from Lead Due to Renovation Repair and Painting Activities in Public and Commercial Buildings” (or Approach).  The document describes in detail the modeling methodology that can be used to estimate the amount of lead in the environment, in people’s bodies, and health effects related to exposure to lead-based paint as a result of renovation, repair and painting activities.  Following public input, EPA will seek independent scientific peer review of the report.

The document follows the release of the “Framework for Identifying and Evaluating Lead-Based Paint Hazards from Renovation, Repair, and Painting Activities in Public and Commercial Buildings” (or Framework), that EPA solicited comment on in May, 2014.  The Framework described a general outline of how EPA would conduct analyses for identifying and evaluating hazards created by renovations of P&CBs. The document presents the analyses and some results of using this approach to identify and characterize hazards in much greater detail.

EPA will consider the public comments on these documents and other information as the agency assesses whether lead-based paint hazards are created by P&CB renovations. The agency will develop proposed requirements, as appropriate, to reduce any identified hazards that would also be subject to public review and comment.

The Federal Register Notice and Document can be found at http://www2.epa.gov/lead/lead-regulations#paint.