Chase Morrill, one of the stars of the “Maine Cabin Masters” reality television program, pounds a nail in 2019 into the floor of the farmhouse his family bought in Manchester. Kennebec Property Services LLC, also known as the “Maine Cabin Masters,” reached a settlement recently with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over lead paint safety violations. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal file photo
The company behind the home renovation television program “Maine Cabin Masters” has paid a $16,500 penalty for violating federal lead paint safety rules at five residences in central Maine.
Kennebec Property Services LLC, also known as the “Maine Cabin Masters,” reached the settlement Tuesday with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“Maine Cabin Masters” is a reality TV show on the Discovery network that focuses on the renovation and refurbishing of camps and cabins across the state.
The EPA accused the company of renovating five properties in 2020 without following the federal agency’s lead renovation, repair and painting regulations. The rules, put into place in 2008, are designed to protect people from exposure to lead from dust that can form when surfaces that have been coated with lead-based paint peel, crack or are disturbed.
The five affected residences were built before 1978, the year lead paint was banned for residential uses across the country.
The federal agency said those involved with “Maine Cabin Masters” failed to obtain lead-safe recertification before beginning renovations, and did not assign a certified renovator to the projects.
The company also did not provide property owners with an EPA-approved information pamphlet about lead hazards, and did not maintain records showing its compliance with the rules, according to the EPA.
The five affected properties are in Belgrade, Manchester, Oakland, West Gardiner and Whitefield, according to a spokesperson for the EPA’s New England office.
The company has since obtained the needed certification.
As part of the settlement, Kennebec Property Services has paid the $16,500 penalty and agreed to help raise awareness about lead safety measures in at least three episodes of its upcoming television season and one episode of its “From the Wood Shed” podcast.
It will also place information about the rule on its website, according to the settlement.
“We have worked collaboratively with the EPA to address their concerns,” said Jen Reese, business development manager for Kennebec Cabin Co., which is based in Manchester and bills itself as “the home of the ‘Maine Cabin Masters,'” including a retail store stocked with Maine art, crafts, tools and “Maine Cabin Masters” merchandise.
Lead exposure can cause irreversible and lifelong health complications, including developmental delays, difficulty learning, behavioral issues and neurological damage, particularly in children, according to the EPA and U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
“Lead exposure for children is extremely dangerous and entirely preventable. Complying with federal lead paint laws is essential to protect children across the country and is a top priority for EPA,” Larry Starfield, acting administrator for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in a statement released Tuesday to the news media.
“Television shows that demonstrate home remodeling have a special responsibility to model lead-safe work practices and help their viewers understand common-sense measures to protect themselves and their children from lead hazards.”
The EPA said it has also settled lead paint and renovation safety cases with other programs airing on the same network, including “Two Chicks and a Hammer,” “Magnolia Homes,” “Texas Flip N Move,” “Rehab Addict” and “Bargain Mansions.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
