The purpose of this subpart L is to establish procedures to eliminate as far as practicable lead-based paint hazards in residential property assisted under the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437 et seq.) but not including housing assisted under section 8 of the 1937 Act.

Definitions and other general requirements that apply to this subpart are found in subpart B of this part.

(a) Notice. In cases where evaluation or hazard reduction is undertaken, each public housing agency (PHA) shall provide a notice to residents in accordance with § 35.125. A visual assessment alone is not considered an evaluation for purposes of this part.

(b) Lead hazard information pamphlet. The PHA shall provide the lead hazard information pamphlet in accordance with § 35.130.

(a) A lead-based paint inspection shall be conducted in all public housing unless a lead-based paint inspection that meets the conditions of § 35.165(a) has already been completed. If a lead-based paint inspection was conducted by a lead-based paint inspector who was not certified, the PHA shall review the quality of the inspection, in accordance with quality control procedures established by HUD, to determine whether the lead-based paint inspection has been properly performed and the results are reliable. Lead-based paint inspections of all housing to which this subpart applies shall be completed no later than September 15, 2000. Revisions or augmentations of prior inspections found to be of insufficient quality shall be completed no later than September 17, 2001.

(b) If a lead-based paint inspection has found the presence of lead-based paint, or if no lead-based paint inspection has been conducted, the PHA shall conduct a risk assessment according to the following schedule, unless a risk assessment that meets the conditions of § 35.165(b) has already been completed:

(1) Risk assessments shall be completed on or before March 15, 2001, in a multifamily residential property constructed before 1960.

(2) Risk assessments shall be completed on or before March 15, 2002, in a multifamily residential property constructed after 1959 and before 1978.

(c) A PHA that advertises a construction contract (including architecture/engineering contracts) for bid or award or plans to start force account work shall not execute such contract until a lead-based paint inspection and, if required, a risk assessment, has taken place and any necessary abatement is included in the modernization budget, except for contracts solely for emergency work in accordance with § 35.115(a)(9).

(d) The five-year funding request plan for CIAP and CGP shall be amended to include the schedule and funding for lead-based paint activities.

(a) Each PHA shall, in accordance with § 35.1325, abate all lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards identified in the evaluations conducted pursuant to § 35.1115. The PHA shall abate lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards in accordance with § 35.1325 during the course of physical improvements conducted under the modernization.

(b) In all housing where abatement of all lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards required in paragraph (a) of this section has not yet occurred, each PHA shall conduct interim controls, in accordance with § 35.1330, of the lead-based paint hazards identified in the most recent risk assessment.

(1) Interim controls of dwelling units in which any child who is less than 6 years of age resides and common areas servicing those dwelling units shall be completed within 90 days of the evaluation under § 35.1330. If a unit becomes newly occupied by a family with a child of less than 6 years of age or such child moves into a unit, interim controls shall be completed within 90 days after the new occupancy or move-in if they have not already been completed.

(2) Interim controls in dwelling units not occupied by families with one or more children of less than 6 years of age, common areas servicing those units, and the remaining portions of the residential property shall be completed no later than 12 months after completion of the evaluation conducted under § 35.1115.

(c) The PHA shall incorporate ongoing lead-based paint maintenance and reevaluation activities into regular building operations in accordance with § 35.1355. In accordance with § 35.115(a) (6) and (7), this requirement does not apply to a development or part thereof if it is to be demolished or disposed of in accordance with disposition requirements in part 970 of this title, provided the dwelling unit will remain unoccupied until demolition, or if it is not used and will not be used for human habitation.

(a) For each residential property constructed before 1978 and proposed to be acquired for a family project (whether or not it will need rehabilitation) a lead-based paint inspection and risk assessment for lead-based paint hazards shall be conducted in accordance with § 35.1320.

(b) If lead-based paint is found in a residential property to be acquired, the cost of evaluation and abatement shall be considered when making the cost comparison to justify new construction, as well as when meeting maximum total development cost limitations.

(c) If lead-based paint is found, compliance with this subpart is required, and abatement of lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards shall be completed in accordance with § 35.1325 before occupancy.

(a) Environmental investigation. Within 15 calendar days after being notified by a public health department or other medical health care provider that a child of less than 6 years of age living in a dwelling unit to which this subpart applies has been identified as having an elevated blood lead level, the PHA shall complete an environmental investigation of the dwelling unit in which the child lived at the time the blood was last sampled and of common areas servicing the dwelling unit. The environmental investigation is considered complete when the PHA receives the environmental investigation report. The requirements of this paragraph apply regardless of whether the child is or is not still living in the unit when the PHA receives the notification of the elevated blood lead level. The requirements of this paragraph shall not apply if the PHA conducted an environmental investigation of the unit and common areas servicing the unit between the date the child's blood was last sampled and the date when the PHA received the notification of the elevated blood lead level. If the PHA conducted a risk assessment of the unit and common areas servicing the unit during that period, the PHA need not conduct another risk assessment there but shall conduct the elements of an environmental investigation not already conducted during the risk assessment. If a public health department has already conducted an evaluation of the dwelling unit in regard to the child's elevated blood lead level case, the requirements of this paragraph shall not apply.

(b) Verification. After receiving information from a person who is not a medical health care provider that a child of less than 6 years of age living in a dwelling unit covered by this subpart may have an elevated blood lead level, the PHA shall immediately verify the information with the public health department or other medical health care provider. If that department or provider denies the request, such as because it does not have the capacity to verify that information, the PHA shall send documentation of the denial to its HUD field office, who shall make an effort to verify the information. If that department or provider verifies that the child has an elevated blood lead level, such verification shall constitute notification, and the housing agency shall take the action required in paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section.

(c) Lead-based paint hazard reduction. Within 30 calendar days after receiving the report of the environmental investigation conducted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section or the evaluation from the public health department, the PHA shall complete the reduction of identified lead-based paint hazards in accordance with § 35.1325 or § 35.1330. Lead-based paint hazard reduction is considered complete when clearance is achieved in accordance with § 35.1340 and the clearance report states that all lead-based paint hazards identified in the environmental investigation have been treated with interim controls or abatement or the local or State health department certifies that the lead-based paint hazard reduction is complete. The requirements of this paragraph do not apply if the PHA, between the date the child's blood was last sampled and the date the PHA received the notification of the elevated blood lead level, already conducted an environmental investigation of the unit and common areas servicing the unit and completed reduction of identified lead-based paint hazards. If the PHA conducted a risk assessment of the unit and common areas servicing the unit during that period, it is not required to conduct another risk assessment there but it shall conduct the elements of an environmental investigation not already conducted during the risk assessment. If the PHA does not complete the lead-based paint hazard reduction required by this section, the dwelling unit is in violation of the standards of 24 CFR 965.601, which incorporates the uniform physical condition standards of § 5.703(f), including that it be free of lead-based paint hazards.

(d) Notice of lead-based paint hazard evaluation and reduction. The PHA shall notify building residents of any lead-based paint hazard evaluation or reduction activities in accordance with § 35.125.

(e) Reporting requirement. (1) The PHA shall report the name and address of a child identified as having an elevated blood lead level to the public health department within 5 business days of being so notified by any other medical health care professional.

(2) The PHA shall report each confirmed case of a child with an elevated blood lead level to the HUD field office and the HUD Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes within 5 business days of being so notified.

(3) The PHA shall provide to the HUD field office documentation that it has conducted the activities of paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, within 10 business days of the deadline for each activity.

(f) Other units in the property. (1) If the environmental investigation conducted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section identifies lead-based paint hazards, the PHA shall conduct a risk assessment of other units of the building in which a child under age 6 resides or is expected to reside on the date lead-based paint hazard reduction under paragraph (c) of this section is complete, and the common areas servicing those units within 30 calendar days after receipt of the environmental investigation report if there are 20 or fewer such other units, or 60 calendar days if there are more such units.

(2) If the risk assessment conducted under paragraph (f)(1) of this section identifies lead-based paint hazards, the PHA shall control the hazards, in accordance with Sec. 35.1325 or § 35.1330, in those units and common areas within 30 calendar days, or within 90 calendar days if more than 20 units have lead-based paint hazards such that the control work would disturb painted surfaces that total more than the de minimis threshold of § 35.1350(d). Lead-based paint hazard reduction is considered complete when clearance is achieved in accordance with § 35.1340 and the clearance report states that all lead-based paint hazards identified in the risk assessment have been treated with interim controls or abatement.

(3) The PHA shall provide to the HUD field office documentation that it has conducted the activities of paragraphs (f)(1) and (2) of this section, within 10 business days of the deadline for each activity.

(4) The requirements of this paragraph (f) of this section do not apply if:

(i) The PHA, between the date the child's blood was last sampled and the date the PHA received the notification of the elevated blood lead level, both conducted a risk assessment of the other assisted dwelling units covered by paragraph (f)(1) of this section and the common areas servicing those units, and conducted interim controls of identified hazards in accordance with § 35.1120(b); or

(ii) If the PHA has documentation of compliance with evaluation, notification, lead disclosure, ongoing lead-based paint maintenance, and lead-based paint management requirements under this part throughout the 12 months preceding the date the PHA received the environmental investigation report pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section; and,

(iii) In either case, the PHA provided the HUD field office, within 10 business days after receiving the notification of the elevated blood lead level, documentation that it has conducted the activities described in this paragraph (f)(4) of this section.

A PHA may use financial assistance received under the modernization program (CIAP or CGP) for the notice, evaluation and reduction of lead-based paint hazards in accordance with § 968.112 of this title. Eligible costs include:

(a) Evaluation and insurance costs. Evaluation and hazard reduction activities, and costs for insurance coverage associated with these activities.

(b) Planning costs. Planning costs are costs that are incurred before HUD approval of the CGP or CIAP application and that are related to developing the CIAP application or carrying out eligible modernization planning, such as planning for abatement, detailed design work, preparation of solicitations, and evaluation. Planning costs may be funded as a single work item. Planning costs shall not exceed 5 percent of the CIAP funds available to a HUD Field Office in a particular fiscal year.

(c) Architectural/engineering and consultant fees. Eligible costs include fees for planning, identification of needs, detailed design work, preparation of construction and bid documents and other required documents, evaluation, planning and design for abatement, and inspection of work in progress.

(d) Elevated blood lead level response costs. The PHA may use its operating reserves and, when necessary, may request reimbursement from the current fiscal year CIAP funds, or request the reprogramming of previously approved CIAP funds to cover the costs of evaluation and hazard reduction.

For the requirements concerning the obligation of a PHA to obtain reasonable insurance coverage with respect to the hazards associated with evaluation and hazard reduction activities, see § 965.215 of this title.