Washington University will pay a $2,778 civil penalty to the United States to settle allegations that the University failed to disclose the presence of lead-based paint hazards to tenants in married-student housing prior to leasing.

The University will also pay an additional $24,998 or more to replace approximately 103 old windows in student residences.

In the settlement agreement, the University “neither admits nor denies the factual allegations.”

EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan., filed a civil consent agreement stating that three apartments at 6012 and 6048 McPherson Avenue were leased to students without disclosure of health threats that had been previously cited by the City of St. Louis Health Department.

According to the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 and the Toxic Substances Control Act, landlords and sellers of any properties constructed prior to 1978 (when lead-based paint was federally banned from use in housing) are obligated to inform tenants and buyers of potential lead-based paint related hazards prior to lease or sale.

According to a statement released by Susan Killenberg McGinn, executive director of University News Service, when Quadrangle Housing purchased these properties in 2005, they were not made aware of the inspections that took place in 2000 and therefore were unable to provide these records to subsequent tenants.

In 2006, following another Health Department Inspection, potential lead-based-paint-related hazards were discovered and promptly addressed by the university, but rental lease agreements were not updated to reflect that the potential hazards had been abated.