Lead Testing Services

Huntington Beach, CA, March 20^th, 2020

The U.S. Congress passed the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, also known as Title X, to protect families from exposure to lead from paint, dust and soil in homes offered for sale or lease. Section 1018 of the law directs the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require the disclosure of known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards of most housing built before 1978.

The reason homes built before 1978 became the determining factor is due to the fact that was the year the federal government banned consumer uses of lead in paints. Because of its prior widespread use in paints, the EPA has stated that approximately three-quarters of the nation’s housing stock built before 1978 contains some lead-based paint.

According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), under this law, before finalizing a contract for the sale or lease of housing built before 1978:
 

• Sellers, landlords or their agents must disclose known information regarding lead-based paint hazards in the housing including copies of any inspection reports;
• Sellers, landlords or their agents must provide purchasers and renters with an EPA pamphlet titled Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home; 
• Purchasers have ten days to inspect or test for lead hazards. This time period may be shortened or lengthened by mutual agreement; and
• Sales contracts and leasing agreements must contain disclosure statements. Signed copies must be kept for three years.

CDPH also reports that a seller, lessor or agent who does not comply with this law may be subject to:
 

• Civil fines of up to $10,000 for each violation.
• Criminal fines of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 1 year.
• Damages up to 3 times the amount suffered by the purchaser or renter.

“To help sellers, landlords and their agents comply with lead regulations in California, LA Testing offers rapid lead testing services, sampling supplies and even easy-to-use test kits,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager at LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “Lead poisoning is entirely preventable and affordable testing is available from our multiple locations throughout the state to provide answers to lead in paint, dust, soil and even a home’s water.”

To learn more about indoor or outdoor lead testing services, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794. To access lead or other indoor environmental quality (IEQ) test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.


About LA Testing
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: : AIHA-LAP, LLC (AIHA-LAP, LLC EMLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC IHLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC ELLAP), CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro, San Diego and Ontario.