By BILL HANNA Posted Apr. 24, 2010

FORT WORTH -- John Williams moved to the Creekwood neighborhood for a new energy-efficient home and views of a small lake behind his back yard.

But for him and his neighbors in the far north Fort Worth subdivision, which borders Saginaw, the creek behind his home became an unexpected hassle when new federal flood maps incorrectly showed about 40 homes in the 100-year flood plain.

Even though the tight-knit group of residents knew that it wasn't true, proving it to the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- and their mortgage companies -- wasn't easy. They started calling elected officials and the developer and filing open-records requests with local governments for building permits.

New Certification Requirements Effective April 22, 2010 for Contractors Working on Older Homes

Effective April 22, 2010, contractors performing work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 are required to become trained and certified as Lead-Safe by the EPA.  This is in result to the Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Program passed in 2008. 

According to the EPA, two out of three homes built between 1940 and 1960 have lead-based paint.  Lead poisoning damages the nervous system and causes lifetime developmental and behavioral problems.  Studies show, repair and restoration projects on homes with lead based paint increase the chance for people to be exposed.

Failure to comply with the new regulations could result in penalties of up to $37,500 per day per violation. More information regarding certification and those required to follow the rule can be found at http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm.