Enforcement initiated by a tenant

[VTNorm]

http://www.benningtonbanner.com/ci_1...gtonbanner.com

I know the uncertified contractor and the landlord...they've both been reported to the state and the EPA. And although the elevated lead levels weren't at 'reportable levels' the folks involved have already been contacted by the tenants lawyer.

I'm not a fan of the implementation of RRP (and the confusion around it) but I hope enforcement helps level the playing field and weeds out the contractors and landlords who circumvent the process.

-Norm

[Catspaw]

Norm,

I was just reading up on Vermont lead laws yesterday. Three overlapping (and at times seemingly contradictory) regulations. Essential Maintainence Practices that landlords must do.
Vermont lead rules that everyone (even homeowners) must follow. Plus, of course, RRP. How a landlord could keep it all straight is beyond me.

Vermont rules require us to assume lead is present unless a state licencened lead inspector says it is not. In northern Vermont there are no lead inspectors that are certified by both the state and EPA. Vermont rules kick in if more than one square foot of paint is disturbed (interior or exterior) and require a set of very poorly defined work rules to be followed.

- Rich

[VTNorm]

Hey Rich - and Vermont allows the landlord to become EMP certified and do their own work and inspections just like RRP. In the Bennington case the landlord did exactly that, well, signed off on the inspections anyway, and now the state is questioning all of their self-certified work. They own a number of apartment buildings in town and the state is going thru them all, talking to tenants, etc.

I got the VT EMP cert, training was free. Out of the 18 people who took the class with me there was only one other contractor. The rest were well-heeled 50yr old realtor ladies and housewives looking to have a sideline business charging landlords $100 for the annual paperwork. Pretty much a safe bet that none of them are doing hands-on repairs. From what I've seen the repairs are mostly sub'd out to the uncertified cash guys.

-Norm