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The Contractor Coaching Partnership Blog

Contractors are asking the EPA; Where is the enforcement!

Posted by Mark Paskell on Thu, Oct 14, 2010 @ 09:17 PM

I was watching a movie the other day with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. In this comedy Mel Gibson tries on women's accessories to see if he can capture the essence of being a woman to help with ideas for an add campaign. Later in the movie he is hit by lightning and wakes up with the power to hear the thoughts of women. His new power makes him all so powerful with the opposite gender. As the movie progresses he becomes over whelmed with thousands of womens voices penetrating his brain driving him crazy. He soon longs for the days when he was normal.

I wonder if this is happening to the EPA. I know it is starting to happen to me. We are approaching 4,000 contractors RRP trained this year. I keep hearing every day when is the EPA going to start enforcing this law. I keep hearing from contractors who have gone out and spent thousands of dollars getting trained, paying for the day for their employees, buying hepa vacs, re-doing their contracts, buying monkey suits, buying personal protective equipment, setting up office documentation procedures, buying pamphlets and supplies, looking into buying more insurance and in states like Mass planning for OSHA training.

The contractors keep saying why do I have to go up against all these illegal contractors. They say I did my part. Why do we see illegal jobs going on right in plain view and no one does anything. Where the heck is the building inspector? Where is the homeowner advertising you promised?

Many contractors say they did the right thing because it is the right thing to do. But they also are saying, when Mr. EPA are we going to see results? The major illegal contractor culprits we hear about are contractors who don't care and choose to break the rules, fireman working on the side, teachers working on the side, laid off union workers, and illegal aliens. The legal contractor voices keep shouting everyday, when Mr. EPA are you going to start enforcing those who are stealing jobs from me!

The volume is escalating exponentially. Earlier in the year most guys said they would never call on another contractor. Today we are being told by more and more contractors that they are willing to report the illegal contractor. When it comes to the fireman and teachers we hear our trained contractors say they doubt anyone can stop them from working illegally. Last week a contractor from New York told me illegal fireman and teacher contractors are untouchable. The building inspector will always protect his buddies. It is a right of passage! The contractor said he would never call on an ilegal fireman or teacher for fear of retailiation. (ARE YOU KIDDING ME)

I hope the EPA reads this post and sends it along to the powers that be. One contractor said only in America you can get screwed for doing the right thing.

I know the EPA and officials may not like to read the above however this is only the tip of the iceberg of what we hear everyday. One suggestion offered to curtail this exponentially growing sentiment is to start doing what you have threatened to do; ENFORCEMENT, beginning with all illegal non-compliant contractors, now! And then plaster it all over the news for homeowners and contractors to see.

I have chosen to write these words for the legal compliant hard working contractors we talk to everyday. I will continue to be their voice and share their comments both good and bad.

Mr EPA man when will you begin enforcement? 

mark the coach

 

Tags: EPA Enforcement, contractors, RRP Compliance