Baltimore lawmakers push legislation to get tougher on lead poisoning

With hundreds of children still poisoned by lead each year in Baltimore, city lawmakers are pushing for a series of bills in Annapolis to get tougher on landlords, sue lead paint companies, conduct better state investigations and fix lead-contaminated school drinking fountains.

On Friday, Baltimore’s House delegation voted to endorse two proposals to try to curb lead poisoning: one that would tighten restrictions to try to make sure landlords aren’t renting properties with chipping lead paint and another that would open up lead paint companies to lawsuits to pay for remediation programs.

Del. Nick J. Mosby and Sen. Jill P. Carter, both of West Baltimore, are sponsoring legislation that would permit lawsuits in Baltimore courts against manufacturers of lead paint whether or not a specific company’s product can be proved to have poisoned a specific person.

Such legislation has been introduced — and killed — repeatedly in Annapolis over the past two decades, in the face of staunch industry opposition. But Mosby said Friday that he will continue to push for the legislation every year while he’s in office.

You may read the full article in The Baltimore Sun