NARI submits letter to Senate on lead rule

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) submitted a letter to the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, which has called a hearing on regulatory issues small business face. The letter centers on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead Renovation Repair and Painting rules (LRRP).

The NARI letter cites concerns over the increased cost to businesses of implementing the LRRP rules and the effects this will have on both businesses and consumers. According to the letter, the increased costs could cause homeowners to hire unlicensed contractors or do construction work themselves, increasing risks of injuries and exposure to lead. NARI expressed concerns that EPA “will lack sensitivity” to the effects that the rule has on licensed contractors.

In the letter, NARI expressed its interest to work with the committee and the EPA on ways to implement the rules “in a small business-friendly way.”