Lowe’s To Pay $500,000 Fine for EPA Lead Paint Violations

Home improvement giant Lowe’s Home Centers will have to pay a $500,000 fine over violations of Environmental Protection Agency regulations that govern lead paint exposure.

The settlement, which was reached between the EPA and Lowe’s on Thursday, also requires the home improvement chain to instate new lead paint compliance procedures at its 1,700 U.S. stores.

This week’s settlement follows an EPA investigation which revealed that Lowe’s failed to provide documentation that contractors who were hired to work at 13 of its stores had attained EPA certification or had used EPA-approved lead-paint testing kits at their work sites.

Exposure to lead in paint can cause behavioral disorders, nervous system disorders, learning disabilities, seizures and even death.

Paint containing lead was banned for sale in the United States in 1978, but can still be found in older homes, apartments and office buildings throughout the nation.