PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WLNE) — The United States Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday that the owner of a Pawtucket apartment complex had to pay a $25,000 fine after failing to properly renovate surfaces covered with lead paint.

The EPA said that American Wire Residential Lofts was not a Rhode Island Lead Hazard Control licensed firm. The licensing is require for all housing built before 1978.

American wire also did not have a certified lead renovator to oversee each renovation project.

EPA New England Regional Administrator David Cash stressed the importance of proper renovation, saying, “Ensuring that renovation projects of homes and facilities where children can be exposed to lead are conducted safely is imperative.”

American wire has since complied with lead paint laws.