Funded from a legal settlement with paint manufacturers, San Mateo County has reached an agreement with local non-profit organization Rebuilding Together Peninsula to establish a residential housing lead paint hazard remediation program in the county, an action that focuses on protecting the health of children.
This latest step in a decades-long legal effort has finally been approved by the county Board of Supervisors.
“This settlement finally holds these companies accountable while providing much-needed funding to clean up the damage they have caused to generations of Californians,” said Warren Slocum, Vice President of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
“This is really about fairness. We know that children from low-income homes are much more likely to be exposed to lead paint hazards because their homes are likely to be older,” he added.
And it is that, in the year 2000, the county of San Mateo joined a lawsuit filed by the county of Santa Clara against the former manufacturers of lead paint for their role in creating a public nuisance by promoting lead paint. for use in homes.
However, although lead paint was banned for residential use in 1978, it is still present in millions of California homes.
By 2019, 10 California jurisdictions have reached an agreement requiring Sherwin-Williams, ConAgra Grocery Products and NL Industries to provide funding to clean up lead paint that poisons tens of thousands of California children each year.
Lead exposure can seriously harm the health of children, including brain and nervous system damage, slow growth and development, and hearing and speech problems.
San Mateo County's portion of the settlement is $11.7 million, spread out in annual payments through 2025. Funds will be used to develop programs to remediate lead paint hazards in homes, with a focus on families and children low income.
The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors specified that the first year of the agreement with Rebuilding Together Peninsula will be dedicated to planning and developing programs, contracting and establishing subcontractors for lead testing and construction work.
The pilot program will involve three to five households, expanding to 20 to 25 per year once the program is fully established.
Participation in the inspection and abatement program is free and voluntary for owners.
Established in 1989, Rebuilding Together Peninsula provides renovation and repair services for vulnerable homeowners, including seniors and veterans, people with disabilities, and families with children.
“We are excited to work with Rebuilding Together Peninsula to begin the process of inspecting and cleaning homes in our community,” said Donna Spillane, County Assistant Director of Administration and Finance. "This program will eliminate a serious threat to the health and well-being of children in the county."
It is estimated that San Mateo County has more than 50,000 units of pre-1950 housing and more than 150,000 units of pre-1980 housing. Homes built before 1950 tend to have significantly higher levels of lead paint than houses built after 1950.
It should be noted that the criteria for selecting homes for inspection and remediation have not yet been established, and more information will become available as the program develops.
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