EPA Extends Deadline for certain renovators for RRP program certification renewal

Yesterday, April 9,  EPA’s Administrator signed a final rule to extend certifications for certain individual renovators (those who received initial certification prior to March 31, 2024) under the RRP Program. Please be aware that the extensions only apply to individual renovators who must get recertification training within the timeframes explained below. They do not apply to firm certifications or individual renovators that need their initial certification. 

In January 2015, the Agency had proposed a rule that would, among other things, change the requirements for the refresher training course that individual renovators must take to become recertified. EPA is extending the certifications of thousands of individual renovators (read below for which renovators) that would otherwise expire before that rule can be finalized. EPA is taking this action so that, if and when the changes in the proposed rule are finalized, those renovators can take advantage of the changes. Certifications were extended only for individual renovators whose certifications expire before changes to the refresher training can be finalized. The extension rule has not yet been published in the Federal Register, but you can find links to a prepublication copy of the notice on our website at http://www2.epa.gov/lead/prepublication-copy-notice-final-rule-lead-based-paint-programs-extension-renovator or at www.epa.gov/lead.

Under the final rule:

• Individual renovators who received certification on or before March 31, 2010, now have until March 31, 2016, to get recertified.
• Individual renovators who received certification between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2011, will have one year added to their 5-year certification.
• Subsequent certifications for renovators receiving the extension will be five years.

Again, these extensions apply only to individual renovator certification, not to firm certification.  Also, these extensions only apply to renovators that fall under EPA’s renovation program and not to renovators under authorized state programs.