Enforcement and Compliance Annual Results for Fiscal Year 2023: Lead
Exposure to lead in the environment — soil, water, air –and in paint can cause serious health problems. Those most at risk are children under the age of six, who may suffer severe neurological impacts including learning disabilities, behavioral issues, and hearing loss. Lead-based paint is a significant source of childhood lead poisoning. Other typical sources of lead exposure include lead in drinking water, lead in soil from legacy practices (e.g., leaded gasoline) and some industrial operations, and lead in air emissions from certain commercial sources.
As part of the Agency-wide effort to address lead in the environment, EPA uses multiple statutory and regulatory authorities, tools, and activities to prevent or reduce exposures to lead. EPA’s enforcement and compliance programs lead and support a variety of activities conducted by EPA regional offices and by states, tribes, and territories implementing EPA authorized programs.
In FY 2023, EPA pursued both civil and criminal cases for violations of federal laws to prevent and reduce exposure to lead in paint, drinking water, soils, hazardous waste, and other environmental sources. Many of these enforcement actions and activities addressed lead exposures in communities overburdened by lead pollution This fiscal year, EPA took 107 enforcement actions to address noncompliance with laws designed to eliminate lead-based paint exposure in homes. Examples of lead enforcement actions include:
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Logan Square Aluminum Supply – Chicago, Illinois: EPA and the Department of Justice finalized a settlement agreement for violations of lead paint renovation rules with this major Chicago-based firm. In addition to paying a $400,000 penalty and instituting a robust compliance system to protect customers, Logan Square is paying $2 million for lead paint abatement work in lower-income properties located in Chicago and Chicago suburban communities with a high incidence of childhood lead poisoning.
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GreenBuild Design and Construction, LLC – Anchorage, Alaska: EPA litigated an administrative complaint over this company’s repeated violations of lead paint renovation rules, including work practice rules which can endanger workers and others exposed to lead dust during renovations. The administrative law judge issued a decision sustaining EPA’s allegations and penalizing violator, Greenbuild, for $25,609.
As part of the EPA’s 2023 Geographic Initiatives, each of EPA’s ten regional offices directed enforcement resources to communities with environmental justice concerns. EPA’s regional offices relied on a combination of strategies to reduce people’s exposure to lead in homes, such as compliance outreach to renovators and apartment owners; lead awareness outreach to communities and tenants; compliance inspections and follow-up enforcement actions to ensure changes in behavior; and penalties for non-compliance. For information on regional efforts under this initiative, visit the lead in paint section of EPA’s Enforcement Lead Laws and Regulation web page.
EPA also continued efforts to protect military service members and their families with the issuance of five national subpoenas and information request letters to property management companies managing privatized military housing to assess compliance with the TSCA lead paint regulations.
Lead in drinking water presents unique challenges because the lead can leach into water either as it moves through distribution systems, or through plumbing in the building or home. EPA estimates drinking water can make up to 20% or more of a person’s total exposure to lead. However, sensitive subpopulations, such as pregnant women, infants, and children, may face higher risks. As part of the Agency’s continued focus on ensuring regulated public water systems provide safe drinking water, EPA conducted 160 inspections of water systems, including a number concentrated on assessing Lead and Copper Rule compliance in systems serving overburdened communities.