Magnolia Homes, the company owned by reality TV stars Chip and Joanna Gaines, has been ordered to pay a fine of $40,000 for violating safety regulations during the filming of the HGTV show "Fixer Upper."
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has slapped the fine on the company for violating safety rules on the removal of lead paint from homes that were being renovated on the show.
A statement on the EPA's website indicated that the agency found 33 houses featured on the hit show "did not depict the lead-safe work practices normally required."
The agency further said Magnolia Homes had failed to "post signs to clearly define the work area and warn people to remain outside that area."
The company had also did not "provide home owners or occupants with an approved pamphlet about lead-based paint hazards prior to the renovation," according to the EPA, as reported by Faithwire.
The EPA said Magnolia Homes had cooperated fully with the agency regarding the issue. The company has agreed to pay a civil fine amounting to $40,000 and has made an effort to show how to properly remove lead paint from houses in an episode released back in March, according to People.
Additionally, the couple voluntarily spent $160,000 on a lead-paint abatement program for houses and buildings in Waco, Texas.
In a statement, Magnolia Homes said that it "took immediate steps" to comply with the EPA regulations after being contacted by the agency three years ago.
"Additionally, to take its commitment a step further, Magnolia Homes made the decision to implement a compliance management program in which it adopted an enhanced renovation record-keeping checklist for use by Magnolia Homes staff and subcontractors," the statement continued, as reported by People.
The Hill reported that the EPA could have handed down up to $556,000 in fines on the company for violating the Residential Property Renovation Rule, which was enacted under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
The EPA has specific rules for dealing with houses that used lead-based paint, which has been banned since 1978. Lead poisoning can occur if the chemical element is ingested or inhaled. Exposure to the chemical can also pose several health risks, including "behavioral disorders and learning disabilities to seizures and death," the EPA noted, according to Faithwire.
The agency cautioned that the exposure to lead poses a greater risk to children "because their nervous systems are still developing."
