Lead Policy and Guidance

Paint, Dust and Soil

Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Program

• Guidance documents to assist states and tribes that are applying to EPA for authorization to manage their own lead renovation, repair and painting programs (PDF)
• Read frequent questions about the RRP program. Find a print friendly version of all frequent questions.

Lead-Based Paint Activities Program

• Authorization status of states and tribes (PDF)
• Interpretive Guidance for the Federal Program, TSCA Sections 402/403
• Information on the certification/accreditation process

Lead Disclosure Rule

• Interpretive Guidance for the Real Estate Community on the Requirements for Disclosure of Information Concerning Lead-Based Paint in Housing, Part I (PDF)  (August 1996)
• Interpretive Guidance for the Real Estate Community on the Requirements for Disclosure of Information Concerning Lead-Based Paint in Housing, Part II (PDF) (December 1996)
• Interpretive Guidance for the Real Estate Community on the Requirements for Disclosure of Information Concerning Lead-Based Paint in Housing, Part III (PDF)  (August 2000)

Enforcement Policies

• Revised Interim Final Consolidated Enforcement Response and Penalty Policy for the Pre-Renovation Education Rule; Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule; and Lead-Based Paint Activities Rule  (April 2013)
• Transmittal of the Interim Final Lead-Based Paint Consolidated Enforcement  (August 2010)
• Section 1018 Disclosure Rule Enforcement Response and Penalty Policy  (December 2007)
• Revisions to the 2000 Section 1018 - Disclosure Rule Enforcement Response  (December 2007)
• Penalty Policy Supplements Pursuant to the 2004 Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment Rule  (June 2006)
• Supplemental Environmental Projects In Administrative Enforcement Matters Involving Section 1018 Lead-Based Paint Cases  (November 2004)
• Interim Guidance for Enforcing the TSCA Section 402 Abatement Rule  (March 2000)

National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Guidelines

• Laboratory Quality System Requirements (LQSR), version 4 (pdf) (398.27 KB)  

State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG)

The Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) issues Lead-Based Paint Program grant guidance for financial assistance agreements (grants) to states, territories, the District of Columbia, and eligible Tribes and intertribal consortia under the authority of section 404(g) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) (15 U.S.C. 2684(g)).

• FY26 Lead Program STAG Grant Guidance (pdf) (546.74 KB)
• FY25 Lead Program STAG Grant Guidance (pdf) (2.76 MB)
• FY24 Lead Program STAG Grant Guidance (pdf) (2.44 MB)
• FY23 Lead Program STAG Grant Guidance (pdf) (440.16 KB)
• FY22 Lead Program STAG Grant Guidance (pdf) (335.79 KB)

Superfund Program

• Residential Soil Lead Directive for CERCLA Sites and RCRA Corrective Action Facilities
• Lead at Shooting Ranges

Lead in Gardening Soil

• Recommendations Regarding Gardening and Reducing Exposure to Lead Contamination in Soil
• Technical Review Workgroup Recommendations Regarding Gardening and Reducing Exposure to Lead-Contaminated Soils (December 2013)

Drinking Water

Lead in drinking water is regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Find more information on lead in drinking water, including technical assistance and funding opportunities.

• Lead and Copper Rule: Lead and copper enter drinking water primarily through plumbing materials. Exposure to lead and copper may cause health problems ranging from stomach distress to brain damage. EPA issued the Lead and Copper Rule in 1991 and revised the regulation in 2000, 2007, 2021, and 2024. States may set more stringent drinking water regulations than EPA.
  • Lead and Copper Rule Implementation Tools
  • Fact Sheet - Drinking Water Lead Reduction Plan - EPA Activities to Improve Implementation of the Lead and Copper Rule
• "Lead Free” Rule: On September 1, 2020, the EPA published the final regulation "Use of Lead Free Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder, and Flux for Drinking Water." This rule reduces lead in drinking water and assures that states, manufacturers, inspectors and consumers have a common understanding of “Lead Free” plumbing.
• Additional Rules Relating to Lead in Water: Effluent Guidelines are national regulatory standards for wastewater discharged to surface waters and municipal sewage treatment plants. The EPA issues these regulations for industrial categories, based on the performance of treatment and control technologies.

Air

• Lead Monitoring: Network Design and Monitoring Siting; Sampling and Analysis; and Data Reporting
• Lead Designations Policy Guidance
• Lead Implementation – Programs and Requirements for Reducing Lead

Waste and Cleanup

• Regulatory Status of Waste Generated by Contractors and Residents from Lead-Based Paint Activities Conducted in Households - signed July 31, 2000