Los Angeles County will use a recent $134 million settlement to fund efforts to remove paint from thousands of homes in the county, the Santa Monica Daily Press reports. LA was one of 10
public entities that won a landmark legal victory against three manufacturers of lead paint after nearly two decades of litigation. Courts eventually found these companies, including Sherwin-Williams, created an ongoing "public nuisance" by advertising lead paint in homes while having knowledge of its negative health impacts. Of the $305 million settlement, Los Angeles County received $134 million.
The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors voted today to use the $134 million settlement to create and fund a new and comprehensive Lead Paint Hazard Mitigation Program in partnership with the LA County Department of Public Health and the Los Angeles County Development Authority. Over the next eight years, this program will allow for the removal of lead paint from an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 homes.
The program will target residential properties built before 1951, in low-income communities with a high prevalence of children under the age of six. Services will be completely free to those who qualify and will include testing for and remediation of lead paint hazards in both indoor and outdoor surfaces of homes. The program will also provide resources and education on lead hazards and how to prevent childhood lead poisoning.
“All of our children deserve to live in homes and communities that are free from environmental hazards,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “The proposed program is critically needed to ensure that low-income families with young children can live in housing free from lead paint hazards.”
Read More
