Projects that involve damage or disturbance of painted or coated surfaces, as well as development or improvements of existing structures, may involve some level of lead impact regardless of the type, age, or location of the property. The use of lead in paints and coatings has not been completely banned in the United States, and elevated blood lead concentrations in children and adult workers resulting in adverse health effects is still an issue today. Federal, state, and local regulations are in place and continue to be updated to reduce human exposure to lead.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) developed standards and guidelines to eliminate lead-based paint hazards and prevent childhood lead poisoning. These standards and guidelines were implemented after Congress reported in 1992 that low-level lead poisoning was afflicting as many as 3,000,000 children under the age of 6, mainly as a result of ingestion of household dust containing lead.1 To further eliminate potential childhood lead exposure, the EPA and HUD recently adopted new standards that reduce the allowable concentrations of lead in dust.