NEWS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 22, 2001

OAKLAND AND SAN FRANCISCO JOIN LEAD PAINT LAWSUIT
Top Public Lawyers to Battle "Preventable Epidemic"

Oakland, CA—Oakland City Attorney John Russo and San Francisco City Attorney Louise H. Renne joined a Santa Clara County lawsuit today against lead-paint manufacturers. The two officials called lead poisoning a "preventable epidemic," saying thousands of Bay Area children are struck every year with brain damage and physical deformities as a result of lead poisoning.

The suit charges eight lead paint manufacturers and an industry trade group with fraud and negligence in violation of state products liability law. It was filed March 23 last year in Santa Clara County Superior Court by County Counsel Ann Miller Ravel. Santa Clara was joined in the suit by Alameda, Santa Cruz and Solano counties.

The defendants are Atlantic Richfield Co.; Lead Industries Association, Inc.; American Cyanamid Co.; E.I. Du Pont De Nemours & Co.; The O’Brien Corp.; The Glidden Co.; NL Industries (formerly the National Lead Co.); SCM Chemicals; and the Sherwin –Williams Company.

Paint manufacturers have known as early as 1904 about the dangers associated with lead paint and have deliberately hidden that knowledge, the suit alleges.

"The industry has attempted to conceal the dangers of lead-based paint from the government and from the public," said Ravel. "They knew how bad it was."

The lawsuit seeks millions of dollars to pay for the cleanup of public property as well as a court order requiring the companies to correct existing hazards and to issue safety warnings to consumers.

"The lead paint industry knowingly and callously created this terrible environmental problem," said Russo.

"Our intention is that the industry take responsibility for the health problems caused by its product," said Renne.