News Release Distributed 05/10/13

BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU AgCenter LaHouse Resource Center will host a Lead Certified Renovator Training course on Thursday, May 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

“In addition to helping build healthy homes in our region, LaHouse hopes to aid contractors in completing EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule requirements,” said LaHouse director Claudette Reichel.

The RRP Rule requires contractors who disturb paint in pre-1978 homes and child-occupied facilities to be lead certified, which decreases the risk of lead contamination caused by renovation and repair activities, Reichel said. Lead paint dust is hazardous to the health of both contractors and occupants, yet is most dangerous to young children and pregnant women.

“Even very low levels of lead in children can cause irreversible damage to developing brains and other organs,” she said. “It can lead to learning and behavior disorders, impaired hearing and other developmental health effects without clear symptoms of lead poisoning.”

After completing this course, attendees take the RRP certification test, administered through the National Center for Healthy Housing, a nationwide EPA-accredited RRP training provider.

Louisiana residential contractors also can earn 8 CEUs, Reichel said.

Course participation includes the course booklet, hands-on activities and certification test.

More information about the certification requirements, course fees and a link to the course registration site are available at the seminars and events link www.lsuagcenter.com/LaHouse, by calling 225-578-2378 or emailing lahouse@agcenter.lsu.edu.

LaHouse Resource Center is located at the southwest edge of the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. It is at 2858 Gourrier Ave., between Nicholson Drive and River Road, adjacent the LSU golf course near the intersection of Nicholson Drive and Burbank Drive.