Nova provides evaluation and assessment of buildings and facilities to determine the risk of lead contamination, the building materials that may contain lead, laboratory and on-site testing for lead, lead renovation planning, and lead clearance testing. Nova’s testing and services are specifically designed to protect people, especially children, from toxic lead poisoning, ensure public health and safety, and support property owners and construction companies.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a new law aimed at protecting people from toxic lead hazards. The law applies to renovators and maintenance professionals that work in housing, child-care facilities and schools built prior to 1978. The law, Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program requires that contractors and maintenance professionals be certified; that their employees be trained; and that they follow protective work practice standards. These standards prohibit certain dangerous practices, such as open flame burning or torching of lead-based paint. The required work practices also include posting warning signs, restricting occupants from work areas, containing work areas to prevent dust and debris from spreading, conducting a thorough cleanup, and verifying that cleanup was effective.
The law became fully effective in April 2010. This law is one component of a comprehensive program that also includes an education and outreach campaign to promote lead-safe work practices. This program will help to meet the goal of eliminating childhood lead poisoning as a major public health concern by the year 2010. While the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned lead-based paint for residential use in 1978, almost 38 million U.S. homes still contain lead-based paint, with two-thirds of the houses built before 1960 containing lead-based paint. Renovation activities that disturb lead-based paint can create lead hazards.
The law applies to paid contractors working in pre-1978 housing, child care facilities, and schools with lead-based paint. Contractors include home improvement contractors, maintenance workers in multi-family housing, painters, and other specialty trades. Buildings covered by this law include residential, public or commercial buildings where children under age six are present on a regular basis and all rental housing. The rule applies to renovation, repair or painting activities. Failure to comply with the new lead law results in a $30,000+ fine per day, per occurrence.
For more information about the new EPA lead law and Nova’s services, please contact: Tamara Trow, 936-756-5333
ttrow@novatx.com.
5/28/2008 - Texas Commission on Envrionmental Quality (TCEQ) accredits Nova Biologicals, Inc. under the EPA's National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) for multiple fields of accreditation including drinking water and non-potable water.
09/04/2008 - Nova receives NARSA approval. Nova is now a NARSA registered laboratory and can access the central repository of isolates for investigative studies. NARSA is responsible for tracking and procuring staphylococcal isolates (including S. aureus and the coagulase-negative staphylococci) with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (MIC's > 4 mg/ml) for inclusion into a central repository (NARSA Repository). NARSA approval will allow Nova to help our clients provide products and services that fight the emergence of new disease-causing microorganisms.
11/01/2006 - Nova Biologicals, Inc. named Small Business of the Year. Nova Biologicals, Inc. of Conroe, has been selected by North Harris Montgomery Community College District as the Montgomery College District’s Small Business of the Year for 2006.
Dr. Paul Pearce, President of Nova received the award at the 20th Anniversary Small Business Awards Banquet. Each year millions of Americans depend on Nova. Since 1993, Nova Biologicals has provided worldwide product safety testing to the drinking water, medical products, food, and cosmetic industries. Specializing in microbiological, chemical, and toxin testing, Nova is a fully certified laboratory. Each day, Nova helps its customers by living its motto of Enhancing Human Life. Dr. Pearce has managed and directed Nova Biologicals, Inc. to its current status as one of America’s largest independent drinking water laboratories and service companies and leader in specialty microbiological evaluation, testing, and related remediation planning. Nova has been featured in Security Director News for its work with the City of Conroe in implementing a state-of-the-art security program for Conroe’s Plant 5. Most recently, Nova has been recognized on both a State and Federal level with appointments by the FBI’s InfraGard Member’s Alliance and Governor Rick Perry to represent the Water Sector by providing strategic and operational guidance for implementation of a Homeland Security Strategic Plan.
11/01/2005 - Paul Pearce, President of Nova Biologicals selected by Governor Perry to serve on the State of Texas Critical Infrastructure and Key Resource Protection Council.
Governor Perry just released his five year Homeland Security Strategic Plan for the state of Texas which will serve as a high level road map to improve homeland security capabilities across all disciplines and jurisdictions in Texas.
The second of the Governor’s three goals is to reduce the vulnerability of the state’s Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources from all hazards. Texas is home to several Critical Infrastructures and Key Resources which are vital to our national security, public safety, public health, and economy. In order for the state to reduce the vulnerability of our Critical Infrastructures and Key Resources they are seeking the advice from experts such as Dr. Pearce.
Dr. Pearce was chosen for his expertise in the Drinking Water Industry. Drinking Water is one of our most Critical Infrastructures and Key Resources. Dr. Pearce has managed and directed Nova Biologicals, Inc. to its current status as one of America’s largest independent drinking water laboratories and service companies and leader in specialty microbiological evaluation, testing, and related remediation planning. Most recently Nova was featured in Security Director News for its work with the City of Conroe in implementing a state-of-the-art security program for Conroe’s Plant 5.
Dr. Pearce is a 2005 Graduate of the FBI’s Private Citizen’s Academy and Program Director for the FBI’s InfraGard Drinking Water Security Program in Washington D.C. Dr. Pearce is currently involved in providing scientifically valid and appropriate responses to emerging issues related to the Safe Drinking Water Act as amended by Title IV of the Bioterrorism Act of 2002. His special interest is protecting our dinking water through a multiple barrier, advanced monitoring, reactive communications center for public water systems.
