MISSISSIPPI STATE – Mississippi State University will help contractors wanting to continue their access to projects on certain buildings built before 1978 as an April training deadline approaches.

Contractors are required to be lead-certified by the Environmental Protection Agency by April 22 to perform projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, apartments, child-care facilities and schools built before 1978.

MSU’s Extension Service is partnering with MSU’s Division of Academic Outreach and Continuing Education to conduct the training. AOCE Safety and Environmental Program is an accredited national renovation, repair and painting training provider.

Anthony Lowe, AOCE program development manager, said contractors need the training to ensure they can continue taking certain jobs after the deadline.

“This training is especially important for small business contractors in these tough economic times,” Lowe said. “They don’t need to be prohibited from any work opportunities.”

Extension family resource management specialist Bobbie Shaffett said a limited number of partial scholarships are available through a W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant to help small contractors take the training. Mississippi firms with five or fewer employees may be eligible for scholarships of up to $100 per employee trained, lowering the cost of training to $150 each. She said contractors from larger firms also need the training.

“Firms must have at least one certified renovator working on jobs where lead-based paint is disturbed,” Shaffett said. “The exception would be if it is minor maintenance or repair in rooms where less than six square feet of lead-based paint is disturbed or on exteriors where less than 20 square feet is disturbed.”

For dates and more information on upcoming training opportunities, go to http://www.ce.msstate.edu/training/lead.html, or to apply for scholarships, go to MSUcares.com.