# RRP Opportunity!



## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

_Dear Certified RRP Contractor:_

_*Would you like to influence future changes to the RRP Rule?*_

_As you may know, EPA is planning on announcing changes to the RRP Rule in July. On August 2, 2011 at the Hilton in Crystal City VA, the Lead and Environmental Hazards Association (LEHA) and the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) are presenting a special program in conjunction with EPA dealing with these changes and recommending ways that EPA can improve the implementation, promotion and enforcement of the RRP Rule. EPA wants to hear from stakeholders - particularly certified contractors - who have had real world experiences with the Rule during its first year._

_The one-day program is being presented in cooperation with the EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics and the EPA Office of Civil Enforcement. It provides a forum for an open discussion of ways that EPA and state governments might improve the Rule, simplify how EPA, HUD and OSHA protocols are simultaneously taught and adhered to, and the importance of supporting certified contractors by increasing enforcement and compliance among non-certified contractors so that the “playing field can be made more level”._

_If you and your staff would like to attend this Program, please visit www.rrprule.com for complete agenda, hotel and registration information. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Weil at the LEHA national office (301.924.0804; __[email protected]__)._

_We think the Program will provide an excellent opportunity to ask questions, raise issues and get responses from EPA officials. We hope you will join us on August 2nd. _

_Kent Ackley, President, Lead and Environmental Hazards Association (LEHA)_
_Rebecca Morley, Executive Director, National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH)_


Sure, I'd like to take time away from my business during the busiest season, and pay for flight and hotel accomodations to Virginia for the opportunity to explore this further. Anyone?


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## Roamer (Jul 5, 2010)

How did you get this information? My office is less than 2 miles from this location and I haven't heard bupkis about this at all.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

Roamer said:


> How did you get this information? My office is less than 2 miles from this location and I haven't heard bupkis about this at all.


That is the federal government in a nutshell.


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## Lambrecht (Feb 8, 2010)

Roamer said:


> How did you get this information? My office is less than 2 miles from this location and I haven't heard bupkis about this at all.


All their money is geared towards enforcement to collect on fines so they can eventually get around to actually advertising and educating the public. You know, it's the put cart in front of the horse thing and hope like h-ll it works.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

Roamer said:


> How did you get this information? My office is less than 2 miles from this location and I haven't heard bupkis about this at all.


I'd like to say that its because I am some kind of bigshot industry insider, but I'm not. Its more a function of this whole program. I thought when I received it that it was a mass email to all certified firms. Who knows.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I got that one as well. Lots of RRP spam out there.


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## aaron61 (Apr 29, 2007)

I have yet to receive ANYTHING from the EPA although I am signed up for the emails.Still no PSA's on TV or mass campaigns at the big box stores warning HO's to by plastic & use extreme caution!! If it was really about the kids they would start with educating the public.


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## LA Painter (Jul 28, 2009)

aaron61 said:


> If it was really about the kids they would start with educating the public.


Exactly


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

No communication from the EPA here either. Lots of spam, no official communication at all. Any info. comes from third parties, not the EPA. IMHO the EPA should be sending out monthly messages since the stuff is relatively new and with all the proposed changes.


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## Roamer (Jul 5, 2010)

I registered for this event, today. I'll be joining a fellow Washington Metro PDCA member and hoping we can make our voices heard. 

It is odd that they are having the event AFTER the new changes will take effect. Fed Gov't at its best.


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## Dean CRCNA (Feb 4, 2010)

Roamer said:


> I registered for this event, today. I'll be joining a fellow Washington Metro PDCA member and hoping we can make our voices heard.
> 
> It is odd that they are having the event AFTER the new changes will take effect. Fed Gov't at its best.


It ought to be a pretty good program. It is not going to be to give comments about whether you like the new changes or not, but more of a review of the changes ... from what I hear.

Take good notes on the Enforcement Presentation. It would be nice to hear more about this.

In fact, it would be greatly appreciated if afterwards, you would give us a run down.


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## Roamer (Jul 5, 2010)

Worst fears were realized at this event. EPA's RRP enforcement guy said their initial focus was on making sure that certified guys were staying compliant.

That means that the contractors that have done the right thing are most likely to be the ones that feel the wrath of the EPA. That is just down right bull****.

The President of NARI, David Merick responded that most of his members feared this eventuality and strongly urged the EPA to focus on the un-certified contractors. According to NARI, only 7% of contractors nationwide are certified. Ain't that a bitch. We got certified and in doing so have drawn a giant target on our backs. MF'ers!

EPA dude said it was incumbent on the certified guys to notify the EPA about other contractors who are non-compliant and they actually had forms that you could fill out so they could find these offenders. What crap!

So the long and the short of it was that the contractors that did the right thing will be the most likely ones that are scrutinized by the EPA and on top of that we are the ones that have to be the watch dogs for the EPA.

By the way, the bottom feeding trainers and testers were in attendance in force. They are the ones now driving the more stringent measures of the law as it benefits them the most. No offense Dean.

What's more, don't disregard OSHA per the RRP. Their guidelines for most things are much stricter. You might be following the EPA sanctioned rules but still be in violation of OSHA. Dude from OSHA was there to present their side of things too and it was downright scary.


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

Roamer said:


> Worst fears were realized at this event. EPA's RRP enforcement guy said their initial focus was on making sure that certified guys were staying compliant.
> 
> That means that the contractors that have done the right thing are most likely to be the ones that feel the wrath of the EPA. That is just down right bull****.
> 
> We got certified and in doing so have drawn a giant target on our backs. MF'ers!


When I worked for Raytheon - there was this dude that was so pessimistic, it was hilarious. One day some of the managers announced this program where you are having drug addictions, depression, etc - that you could get free help from some company paid therapists. This guy Mike said that the second you sign your name up for the program, that you would get instantly targeted by managers to eventually get fired. I don't know if it was true - but when the rrp thing came around, I instantly remembered him saying that. 

Heck even that online report to rat out other guys - there are fields to put down your own name and company - lol. They don't need that information unless they're looking to scrutinize you as well


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

plainpainter said:


> When I worked for Raytheon - there was this dude that was so pessimistic, it was hilarious. One day some of the managers announced this program where you are having drug addictions, depression, etc - that you could get free help from some company paid therapists. This guy Mike said that the second you sign your name up for the program, that you would get instantly targeted by managers to eventually get fired. I don't know if it was true - but when the rrp thing came around, I instantly remembered him saying that.
> 
> Heck even that online report to rat out other guys - there are fields to put down your own name and company - lol. They don't need that information unless they're looking to scrutinize you as well


A dude that you thought was pessimistic? :blink: 

:jester:


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## Dean CRCNA (Feb 4, 2010)

Thanks for the info!

and no offense taken


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## plainpainter (Nov 6, 2007)

vermontpainter said:


> A dude that you thought was pessimistic? :blink:
> 
> :jester:


I was in my 20's still bright eyed and optimistic. In comparison, he is probably still way more pessimistic than me - but he was really smart and really had a good comprehension of how the system worked. I had a healthy amount of respect for him when all was said and done. He taught us when we got the 'heebie-jeebies' in the pit of our stomach, to listen to that and ignore logic. I'd say everytime I've run into problems with people in the past 5 years - I had the heebie-jeebies about them before the job ever started. Listening to your gut is damn necessity to survive these days - I am optimistic that my pessimism will lead me to greener pastures.


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## vermontpainter (Dec 24, 2007)

plainpainter said:


> I was in my 20's still bright eyed and optimistic. In comparison, he is probably still way more pessimistic than me - but he was really smart and really had a good comprehension of how the system worked. I had a healthy amount of respect for him when all was said and done. He taught us when we got the 'heebie-jeebies' in the pit of our stomach, to listen to that and ignore logic. I'd say everytime I've run into problems with people in the past 5 years - I had the heebie-jeebies about them before the job ever started. Listening to your gut is damn necessity to survive these days - I am optimistic that my pessimism will lead me to greener pastures.


Everything is risk v. reward. 

There is no reward great enough.


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## RH (Sep 7, 2010)

plainpainter said:


> I'd say everytime I've run into problems with people in the past 5 years - I had the heebie-jeebies about them before the job ever started.


I'm turning over my first non payment to the attorney on the 15th. I knew it before I started.....


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## Dean CRCNA (Feb 4, 2010)

Roamer said:


> EPA's RRP enforcement guy said their initial focus was on making sure that certified guys were staying compliant.


Talk with several folks today who attended. They said this statement was in response to a question asked ... saying that many fear this, but it is a myth. EPA does not target certified renovators.

EPA reiterates that it's enforcement is "complaint" driven. They basically only respond and investigate complaints. All of the vast majority of complaints are on non-certified contractors.

Hundreds of onsite investigations have been performed since Jan 1, 2011 and the only thing holding them up is determining the amount of the fine.


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