Abatement Isn’t a Piggybank for Nuisance Plaintiffs

Covington attorneys examine how plaintiff’s attorneys are bringing cases under the public nuisance doctrine to address various social problems, from environmental cleanup to the opioid crisis. They say recent court decisions rejecting sweeping abatement relief may have the effect of narrowing plaintiffs’ claims. In courts across the US, parties are disputing whether the public nuisance […]

Study finds link between racial segregation, lead exposure

Black students in North Carolina were more likely to be exposed to lead in racially segregated neighborhoods — one factors associated with dragging down their test scores in reading. Driving the news: A new study by Duke University researchers, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, included surveys of 25,000 North Carolina fourth graders. But the findings […]

Lead Poisoning Plus Systemic Racism Are Harming Black Kids’ Test Scores

It’s well known that exposure to lead can harm young children’s brain development. Now a new study suggests that racial segregation may be compounding the detrimental effects of lead on Black children. The study, of close to 26,000 schoolchildren, found that Black children with elevated blood lead levels had worse scores on standardized reading tests. And […]

State seeks $5M from ‘callous’ landlord in lead paint case

A former landlord who once owned or controlled 22 Buffalo homes where 29 children suffered lead poisoning should pay more than $5 million in penalties, restitution and forfeited rent, the state Attorney General’s Office told a judge Wednesday. The amount appears to be the largest ever sought from a landlord in a lead-paint violation case […]

RI company to pay 25K fine for LBP violations

Brady Sullivan to pay $25,000 penalty for lead violations at Rhode Island property EPA hits Manchester company for unlicensed work at Pawtucket mill renovation   Manchester-based Brady Sullivan Properties has agreed to pay a $25,000 penalty to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for lead paint violations at its American Wire Residential Lofts in Pawtucket, R.I. […]

When your home is filled with hazards, what can you do?

Poor housing conditions can have an effect on people’s health both mentally and physically by posing a threat to the family or individual living there, especially for young children and babies. The health and wellbeing of residents are impacted especially in areas where there’s both industry and older housing. The older a home gets without […]

Fugitive ex-landlord surrenders to face criminal charges of lead paint violations

Afugitive considered by government officials to have been among the worst – if not the worst – rental housing operators in Buffalo surrendered Tuesday at the federal courthouse. Facing criminal charges related to lead-paint violations, Angel Elliot Dalfin made his initial court appearance by participating remotely by videoconference from the U.S. Marshals Service cellblock, according to a […]

Pawtucket apartment complex owner fined $25K for violating lead paint guidelines

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 […]

Money begins to come in for local governments to address lead poisoning

For decades, city leaders in Cleveland have tried to take action to deal with the complex problem of childhood lead poisoning — mostly from lead paint in the housing stock and not as much from water pipes — and have viewed any potential solutions as complex and expensive. Back in 2019, Cleveland Councilman Blaine Griffin […]