Lead Paint Companies Sued

Advisory Report - April 2000

Lead Paint Companies Sued
California's Santa Clara County filed suit against eight of the countries largest paint companies for intentionally concealing the health hazards of lead paint.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle (March 24, 2000), even though Rhode Island and a number of other cities and individuals filed suit against the paint companies and lost, Santa Clara County is the first county in the country to take legal action against the paint manufacturers and the Lead Industries Association.

The law suit claims that the paint companies knew about the dangers of lead paint as early as 1904 but continued to produce and promote the product.  Most paint companies stopped selling lead-based house paints in the 1950s, but federal regulations banning lead paint took effect in 1978.

In addition to the Lead Industries Association, the defendants in the case are Atlantic Richfield Co.; DuPont Co.; Sherwin-Williams Co.; NL Industries Inc.; Glidden Co.; O-Brien Corp.; SCM Chemicals Inc.; and American Cyanamid Co.  Santa Clara County is seeking funds to cover the costs of abatement, testing of children, increased health care and educational programs.

According to federal estimates, more than 890,000 children in the United States have lead poisoning.  Learn more about the hazards of lead paint.