The relocation will allow Amtrak to perform renovation work on the station's catenary, signals, switches and tracks.
The EPA Lead, Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule requires that contractors who perform renovation, repair, or painting projects that could disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools be certified by EPA and follow lead-safe work practices.
They often also perform renovations, enabling them to raise the rent even further while annoying the remaining neighbors, sometimes to the point of prompting them to leave.
"Almost a million children have elevated blood-lead levels as a result of exposure to lead hazards," said Steve Owens, the assistant administrator of Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention at the E.P.A., "and one key source of exposure is improperly performed renovation, repair and painting work.
Beginning April 22, 2010, US federal law requires that contractors performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb more than six square feet of paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and trained to follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
Or they falsely claim to have performed renovations, knowing that the state asks for proof only when a new tenant complains.
Mr. McKee pointed out, however, that those numbers do not include deregulated apartments where, besides the 20percentt vacancy rent increase, landlords managed to bring the rent to $2,000 or more by performing renovations and adding one-fortieth of the costs.
One of the most compelling images was taken on his own roof; it shows a crouched man performing renovations with a nail gun, and is both empathetic and tense.
Contrary to what television would have you believe, there is more to real estate flipping than simply performing renovations on a home.
Officials said the investigation was not related to Advanced Development Investments Inc., an affordable housing developer under federal investigation for fraud whose subcontractors performed renovations on Drayman's condo.
Housing activist Hannah Gehrels said she knows many people who have been victimized by "phony evictions," where the landlord evicts the tenants under the pretense of performing renovations, then never does.
