Overview
- Justice Department and EPA officials announced a proposed nationwide settlement lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
- The case centers on alleged violations of the EPA’s Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting rule and on failures to carry out terms of a 2014 consent decree.
- The alleged violations stem from renovation work by Lowe’s-hired contractors at hundreds of homes, primarily between 2019 and 2021.
- EPA investigators cited problems disclosed in Lowe’s required compliance reports and followed a public tip about projects in southern and central California.
- The agreement requires a corporate-wide program to ensure hired firms are certified and use lead-safe practices, with officials emphasizing the risk lead dust poses to children.