A contractor working for Atlanta International School in Buckhead received two citations from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division regarding lead paint inspection at the school, but the contractor said the citations were the result of a bureaucratic mix-up.
The Georgia EPD reported issuing two different citations in October for $300 each to CGCI Management, an industrial hygiene firm in Gainesville, Ga. Jerry Bond, with CGCI, said the company removed 10 pieces of wood for the school. The company hired an engineer to sample the area to make sure there was no lead paint present. He said the man the company hired was not listed on the EPD website as an approved engineer, so the company had to hire another engineer approved by EPD to do the inspections. But they were still fined, he said.
“He was just looking to see if there was any remaining lead,” Bond said.
Courtney Fowler, a spokeswoman for AIS, said the EPD has found the school is in compliance with state regulations.
“The school was issued clearance on any lead paint situation on Aug. 3, 2011, so we are definitely in compliance and (the contractor) has since resolved the documentation issues,” Fowler said.
Bond said EPD has been issuing more fines to contractors because of steep budget cuts.
“They’ve had their funding cut so bad this year and last year,” Bond said. “It’s just difficult.”
