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For Immediate Release: January 11, 2010
Contact:
Jeremy Stine, 202-367-2359
 
WDMA Urges Issa Investigation of EPA Lead Rule, DOE Code Activities and OSHA Noise Proposal
 
  
[Washington, DC] - The Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA), along with a group of leading building industry trade associations, have asked Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the new chairman of the House Oversight Committee, to conduct a review of EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (LRRP) for negatively impacting business and job growth.  Issa sent a letter to 150 companies, trade associations, think tanks and scholars in mid-December asking them to come up with a list of the most onerous existing and proposed federal rules and regulations that are hurting job creation and economic growth.

"While WDMA has long supported efforts to protect children and pregnant women from lead hazards, the poor development and implementation of the LRRP Rule by EPA has been a disaster for industry and consumers alike," said WDMA President Michael O'Brien.  "EPA has clearly overstepped the original intent of the rule and WDMA has had to resort to legal action to reverse some the agency's actions, such as removal of the opt-out provision.  We thank Chairman Issa for reaching out to the business community and we look forward to working with members on both sides of the aisle to resolve some of these issues before EPA proceeds with new rules on clearance testing and an expansion to commercial construction." 

In separate letter to Issa, WDMA also asked the Oversight Committee to review two other issues that may negatively affect window, door and skylight manufacturers: 1.) the Department of Energy's (DOE) involvement with the private sector development of energy effciency codes for commercial and residential buildings; and 2.) OSHA's recent proposal to change its interpretation of workplace noise exposure requirements and enforcement.



"We continue to be concerned with DOE's interference in the model code process advocating for revisions to energy codes using unsubstantiated data to support positions and refusing to provide any basis for their technical assumptions," O'Brien said. "Further, OSHA's current proposal to change its official interpretation of of workplace noise exposure requirements and enforcement by requiring new engineering and administrative controls could significantly increase manufacturing costs without demonstrating a corresponding increase in employee safety."

 


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Founded in 1927, the Window & Door Manufacturers Association is the premier trade association representing the leading manufacturers of residential and commercial window, door and skylight products for the domestic and export markets. WDMA members are focused on Total Product Performance™ products that are designed and built to performance-based standards. The association is focused on key member needs in the areas of advocacy, product performance, education and information and facilitating business interactions and relationships in the fenestration eco-system. For more information, please visit www.wdma.com.