The DOJ could charge $55,000 for the first violation and $110,000 for any subsequent violation. The Justice Department has said it will investigate any complaints of non-compliance but will give pools with financial hardship and a savings plan more time to comply.
ADA regulations instruct hotels to buy one fixed lift for each large pool, hot tub and sauna. The 235,000 to 310,000 hotels needing to upgrade may face total costs of $1 billion, according to the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals.
As a result of widespread misunderstanding about the rule and complaints from hotel owners, the Department of Justice has extended the original March 15 deadline for compliance to May 15, and is considering delaying it until September.
The department is reviewing comments submitted in March and April. A spokesman said the department is considering only extending the deadline — not stripping the requirement altogether.
“If a fixed lift is affordable and easy for that hotel, they need to provide a fixed lift,” DOJ spokesman Mitchell Rivard wrote in an email. “If only a portable lift is affordable and easy for that hotel, they can use a portable lift. If they already have a portable lift, they should explore whether it is affordable and easy to attach the lift. If no lift is achievable, they should make a plan to achieve access when it becomes readily achievable for them.”
For more:Â http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20120505/NEWS01/205050303
