According to the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone renovating a home or conducting work that “disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities constructed prior to 1978” must have a certification from the EPA, and contractors working in the state of Wyoming are no exception.
The EPA states that before any renovation can start on Wyoming homes built before 1978, “All of your employees must be trained, and a “Certified Renovator” must be assigned to each job.”
Determining the Need for Lead Certification in Wyoming
The EPA requires lead-safe certifications because prior to 1978 and the passage of the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act, signed by Richard Nixon, toxic lead had been utilized in paint and building materials in homes across the United States.
Lead is toxic, and lead-based products significantly increase the risk of lead poisoning, especially in children. Contractors and renovators working on homes that contain lead building materials (found in homes built before 1978) play the most significant role in containing lead contaminants and ensuring their proper handling and disposal.
Ready to get your Lead Paint Certification?
Looking to Become Certified?
Wyoming contractors can obtain certification in one or more of six certified positions.
Lead Renovator
To become a certified Lead Renovator in the state of Wyoming individuals are required to complete eight hours of EPA accredited coursework and pass a twenty-five-question exam with a score of seventy percent or higher.
Lead Inspector
To become a certified lead inspector in the state of Wyoming individual applicants are required to complete twenty-four hours of EPA accredited coursework, pay $410 every three years and successfully pass a third-party exam which costs $70 per attempt.
Lead Abatement Supervisor
To become a lead abatement supervisor in the state of Wyoming individuals are required to have completed thirty-two hours of EPA accredited coursework plus a full year of working experience as a lead abatement worker.
The lead abatement supervisor certification costs $410 for three years and can be achieved through a third-party exam for $70 per attempt
Lead Risk Assessor
Lead Risk Assessors certified in the state of Wyoming have already completed and received certification for the lead-based paint inspector training course. .
Applicants for the Lead Risk Assessor certification must also have one of the following education and experience levels in order to qualify.
- Bachelor’s degree and one-year experience working in a similar field.
- Associates degree and two years of experience working in a similar field.
- GED and three years of experience working in a similar field.
Individual applicants are required to pay $410 every three years and successfully pass a third-party exam which costs $70 per attempt.
Project Designer
Project designers in the state of Wyoming are required to have the following prerequisites:
- 8 hours of EPA accredited coursework
- Successfully completed the lead abatement supervisor training course
- Hold a bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, or similar field
- One year of building construction and design experience or no less than four years of experience in building construction and design.
Individual applicants are required to pay $410 every three years, and there are no third-party exams that can be taken to receive the certification.
Dust Sampling Technician
Certified dust sampling technicians have completed eight hours of EPA accredited coursework and pass a twenty-five-question exam with a score of seventy percent or higher.
Firms that have applied for and received their certification are required to pay $300 every five years.
Becoming Certified in Wyoming
Firms looking to be certified must simply complete the required application and pay a small fee to be submitted to the EPA via their online portal.
Once the certification has been obtained, it is valid for five years before renewal is required.
Once the application has been completed, the EPA will email the certification to the firm along with permission to use the “Lead-Safe Certified Firm” logo (with certain limitations) for advertising purposes.
What if I Need a Lead Safety Refresher Course?
Refresher training is required once every three years for recertification.
How are RRP Rules Enforced in Wyoming?
Who needs to be certified in Wyoming? The short answer is; anyone who is compensated to perform work on the project. That includes painters, plumbers, carpenters, and electricians.
Before reading further, it should be noted that according to the EPA, “Federal law requires all renovation, repair, and painting firms (including sole proprietorships) working in housing, or facilities where children are routinely present, built before 1978, to be certified.”
Firms who begin a renovation or repair project on Wyoming homes built before 1978 without certification risk being served with a felony.
Complying with Wyoming Requirements for EPA Lead Certification
The Wyoming Department Of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is the state’s regulatory agency charged with protecting the states air, land and water quality.
Operating within the DEQ is the agencies Solid and Hazardous Waste Division which regulates the safe handling and disposal of lead, and lead-based waste in the state.
According to the DEQ’s guide on the proper disposal of lead-based products (LBP’s) the state is primarily concerned with the two different types of LBP’s commonly encountered in renovation, demolition, and repair.
Household LBP Waste – Lead-based product waste generated by anyone on the premises.
Household LBP waste can be disposed of at any permitted landfill.
Non-household or business/commercial Waste – LBP hazardous waste that weighs more than 220 pounds is classified as hazardous waste and, according to state regulation, must be
Properly labeled, packaged, and disposed of only at a commercial waste management facility certified in hazardous material disposal.
Becoming Certified in Wyoming
The EPA wants your firm to have the Lead-Safe certification which is why they make it rather easy to acquire it.
Additional Resources to Help Understand Compliance Rules in Wyoming
Lead-Safe certification applicants can find more information about Wyoming’s lead laws, certifications and requirements at any one of the Solid and Hazardous Waste Division offices located in Casper, Cheyenne, Landon, and Sheridan.
Looking for More Answers Regarding EPA Lead Certification in WY?
Further information about state and federal regulation regarding lead head to the EPA’s Lead Laws and Regulations webpage.