Reality show must get real about lead paint, EPA says

The stars of the hit HGTV show “Fixer Upper” need to fix up their message about lead paint in old houses.

So says the Environmental Protection Agency, which fined Chip and Johanna Gaines $40,000 and called for the couple to talk about lead paint on their show, and to spend $160,000 educating their own community of Waco, Texas, about lead-paint dangers, according to media reports.

“Fixer Upper” is a popular show that documents the revival of old, dilapidated homes into Pinterest-worthy dreams. As Vox.com reported, the reality is that some of the renovations in several seasons of the show “did not depict the lead-safe work practices” and violated rules on toxic substances and lead paint, the agency said.

The parent company of “Fixer Upper,” Magnolia Waco Properties L.L.C., reached a settlement this month. The Gaines, meanwhile, announced the upcoming fifth season will be the final for HGTV.

“Though our ‘Fixer Upper’ chapter is coming to a close, we aren’t done with Waco. We aren’t done renovating homes,” they wrote on their website. “We aren’t done designing things to make your home your favorite place on Earth. We aren’t done working towards restoration in all things or helping out those who could use a hand. In fact, in all of these of things, we are just getting started.”