AUBURN — Three “Renovation Repair and Painting” (RRP) courses will be held at Central Maine Community College’s Kirk Hall by the Maine Labor Group on Health. The free all-day course will be held on Friday, Oct. 9 and repeated on Tuesday, Oct. 13 and Friday, Oct. 30.

The course is designed to inform landlords and contractors how to perform maintenance safely on homes with lead-based paint. Preregistration is required by calling 622-7823 and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Courses are limited to 20 participants each.

“Lead continues to be a major public health problem for Lewiston and Auburn. Between 2003 and 2007, 119 children under the age of 6 had elevated levels of lead in their blood. We need to do more to protect our children from lead hazards and this course is one way to ensure that lead-based paint stays away from our most vulnerable community members including children and pregnant women,” said Mark McComas, deputy director for the City of Lewiston’s Economic and Community Development Department.

Under the new EPA Lead Rule, which goes into effect in April 2010, contractors performing projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities and schools built before 1978 must be certified by an RRP course. During the course, contractors will learn specific work practices to prevent lead contamination and other requirements of meeting this EPA Rule.

For more information about lead-based paint or local lead poisoning prevention efforts, contact Healthy Androscoggin at 795-5990. For more information about the RRP courses, contact Maine Labor Group on Health at 622-7823. Information on the EPA Lead Rule can be found at www.epa.gov/lead.

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