EPA Makes Contractors Take Precautions With New Lead-Safety Rules

The Environmental Protection Agency's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, which kicked in last month, requires additional safeguards by contractors working on homes, schools and childcare facilities built before US regulators banned lead paint in 1978. The intention is tho reduce the harm from lead for contractors and their workers as well as for the people who live, work or attend school in older structures.

About 38 million US homes contain lead paint, which can be disturbed by even small renovations, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The EPA rule is an extension of Cal/OSHA rules that expand the 1979 federal employer lead standards to California's construction industry in 1993. Also, the rule calls for lead-dust containment, thorough cleanup, documentation, consumer education and completion of an EPA-accredited course on lead-safe work practices.

Important Precautions:

• Cover floors with durable plastic sheeting
• For larger jobs, make dust-containing doors by covering each entry to the work area with two layers of sheeting: One should be taped along all edges and cut down the middle. The other should be taped only on top, as a flap covering the slit in the first layer.
• Remove furniture, rugs, curtains and other such items from the work area.
• Turn off heating and air conditioning. Cover vents with plastic sheeting.
• Keep windows closed
• When disturbing lead paint, spray water on painted surfaces to keep dust from spreading

Note:
You can read the original, full article written by Michelle Hofmann for the LA Times.

RHE City Council Set To Vote on Overdue Vista-Blocking Issue

For two years now, Rolling Hills Estates residents have been asking for the legal action to get overgrown, vista-blodking trees chopped down, the City Council is set to vote on a view-restoration ordinance tonight.

The measure would bring the city into line with the 3 other municipalities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula that have existing rules.

The 18 page ordinance will allow residence to pursue "view equity" or "sunlight access" in relation to trees causing an "unreasonable obstruction" on properties within 5oo feet of the home owned by the person seeking the view.

The measure directs neighbors to try to resolve view disputes first through an initial discussion, then by filing a written claim with the city. The claim would be followed by voluntary mediation then, if necessary, binding arbitration and finally litigation. Costs for mediation and arbitration would be borne by the party seeking an improved view, but agreements could be made to divide the cost. In most cases, the cost of litigation would be paid by the side that loses.

An important objective in the ordinance would be to ensure that the city would not end up investing a lot of staff time or paying for lawsuits related to view disputes, an has been the unfortunate case in the past.