Home Depot to Pay $21 Million Penalty for Alleged Lead-Safety Violations
December 17 2020 - 1:25PM
Dow Jones News
By Dave Sebastian
Home Depot Inc. is paying $20.75 million in a settlement
proposed by U.S. regulators for alleged violations involving lead
safety in home renovations, the Environmental Protection Agency and
the Justice Department said.
The EPA found that the home-improvement company sent uncertified
firms to do renovations that required certified firms. The agency
investigated five customer complaints in Illinois, Maine, Michigan,
Minnesota and Wisconsin relating to instances where the
subcontracted renovation firms in some cases didn't use lead-safe
work practices, perform post-renovation cleaning, provide
EPA-required lead-based paint pamphlets or maintain appropriate
records, it said.
The settlement, which is the highest civil penalty obtained so
far under the Toxic Substances Control Act, includes $750,000 to be
paid to Utah, $732,000 to Massachusetts and $50,000 to Rhode
Island, the EPA and DOJ said.
Contractors hired for renovation, repair and painting projects
in homes built before 1978, when residential lead-based paint use
was banned, must be certified by the EPA under its Lead Renovation,
Repair and Painting Rule.
Under the settlement, Home Depot will implement a companywide
program to ensure that the firms and contractors it hires are
certified to do lead-safe work practices, a measure that would
avoid spreading lead dust and paint chips during home renovations,
the governmental bodies said.
"These instances do not represent our high standards and
expectations," a Home Depot spokeswoman said in an email. "When we
found out about this, we moved quickly to contact all customers who
might have been impacted and we significantly strengthened our lead
safety systems and approach."
Home Depot's compliance measures will include implementing an
electronic system that verifies contractors' certifications,
requiring contractors to provide a detailed compliance checklist
and conducting on-site inspections. If a contractor didn't comply
with the EPA requirements, the company will inspect for dust lead
hazards and do specialized cleaning, if the hazards are found, the
EPA and DOJ said.
"Today's settlement will significantly reduce children's
exposure to lead paint hazards," said Susan Bodine, assistant
administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance
Assurance. "EPA expects all renovation companies to ensure their
contractors follow these critical laws that protect public
health."
Write to Dave Sebastian at dave.sebastian@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 17, 2020 13:10 ET (18:10 GMT)
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