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Lead-Based Paint Activities
The lead-based paint activities regulations apply to lead-based paint hazards found in deteriorated paint chips, dust, and soil in homes (target housing) and child occupied facilities (COFs) built prior to 1978. The regulations include procedures and requirements for accreditation, licensure of contractors, project notifications, abatement work practice standards, data collection, and reporting lead hazards at child occupied facilities (COFs) such as daycare centers, preschools, elementary schools, etc.
The regulations apply to persons and contractors who perform lead-based paint activities, which includes conducting inspections, lead hazard screens, and risk assessments, and performing abatement, in target housing and COFs, except when they perform the activities in a residence that they own, unless the residence is occupied by anyone other than the owner or the owner's immediate family, or unless a child residing in the building has been identified as having an elevated blood lead level.
A project is considered an abatement when it is designed to permanently eliminate known lead-based paint hazards in paint, dust and/or soil in target housing or COFs. Abatement can include removing paint and/or dust, permanently enclosing or encapsulating lead-based paint on surfaces or fixtures, replacing painted surfaces or fixtures, and/or removing or permanently covering soil.
A project is not an abatement if a renovation, demolition, remodeling, or landscaping activity is not intended to permanently eliminate known lead-based paint hazards, even if lead-based paint hazards are reduced or eliminated, and when interim control activities, operations and maintenance activities, or other measures are designed to only temporarily, but not permanently, reduce lead-based paint hazards.
Regulations do not apply when treating paint-lead hazards of less than 2 square feet of deteriorated lead-based paint per room or equivalent, 20 square feet of deteriorated paint on the exterior of a building, or 10 percent of the total surface area of deteriorated paint on an interior or exterior type of component with a small surface area.
Accreditation and Licensure
Lead inspections must be conducted by an accredited lead inspector or accredited risk assessor. Lead hazard screens and lead risk assessments must be conducted by an accredited risk assessor.
In order to bid and/or perform abatement activities, lead contractors must obtain a lead-based paint abatement and removal license from the State of Louisiana Licensing Board for Contractors. Prior to obtaining an initial or renewal license, the lead contractor must submit an application for approval, along with the appropriate fees, to the Office of Environmental Services (OES).
Abatement Project Requirements
Before conducting lead abatement in target housing or a COF, the contractor must notify the department by submitting a lead project notification form (LPN) (click to link to form) to the OES at least 5 days prior to beginning any onsite work. An occupant and worker protection plan must be developed for all abatement projects. The plan must be unique to the specific home or COF, and it must describe the measures and management procedures that will be taken during the abatement to protect the building occupants from exposure to any lead-based paint hazards.
When performing an abatement, the contractor must follow certain work practice standards listed in the regulations to protect the public from exposure to lead. The regulations also list work practices that are strictly prohibited.
Following abatement, a visual inspection must be conducted, as well as post abatement sampling/testing to clear certain action levels listed in the regulations. The contractor must also submit a written report to the OES within 30 days of the completion of the project that includes a detailed description of the project, including the results of the post-abatement dust-lead testing.
Licensed Day Care Center, Preschool, and Elementary School Facilities
For a licensed day care center, preschool, or elementary school facility that qualifies as a COF, the owner, inspector, or risk assessor must notify the OES, using a Lead Hazard Notification Form (LHN), within 90 days of receipt of reports of lead hazards, lead abatement activities, including activities from past abatements that may have failed, or any lead testing performed that exceeds the action levels outlined in the regulations. A copy of the notification must be displayed at the COF. They must also notify all parents or legal guardians of each child enrolled of lead abatement activities, lead testing that exceeds the action levels outlined in the regulations, or lead hazard reduction activities performed at the facility or on its grounds. The notification can be made by written or electronic means.
The owner of any licensed day care center, preschool, or elementary school facility, that qualifies as a COF, and that begins operation for the first time as a new COF business after August 1, 2012, must have an accredited inspector or risk assessor conduct a thorough inspection of the facility and grounds for the presence of lead hazards within 30 days of starting operation, unless the facility or its grounds was already inspected for lead hazards or had lead abatement or remediation done before August 1, 2012, and maintain documentation that the inspection, lead abatement, or remediation activities were conducted in accordance with the regulations. If a lead hazard is found to be present, the inspector and the owner shall report the findings to the LDEW Office of Environmental Compliance (OEC), Surveillance Division using the Lead Hazard Notification Form (LHN).
Interim Contols
LDEQ provides a variety of resources to help accredited professionals understand and apply approved lead hazard control practices. These materials outline proper methods for interim controls, safe work techniques, and long‑term strategies to reduce exposure to lead‑based paint hazards. By using these guidelines, individuals and firms can ensure their work meets regulatory standards and protects the health of Louisiana communities.
HUD and EPA provide nationally recognized guidelines for implementing safe, effective lead hazard control practices that protect both workers and building occupants.
The Superfund Lead-Contaminated Residential Sites Handbook is a key EPA resource that outlines the recommended approaches for assessing, managing, and cleaning up lead contamination at residential properties within Superfund sites, including guidance on sampling, risk evaluation, cleanup levels, and community protection strategies.
Recalled products due to lead contamination are items that have been removed from the market because they contain unsafe levels of lead, posing a risk. These recalls can include toys, jewelry, household goods, cosmetics, and other consumer products, and they are typically issued by federal agencies such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).