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Friday, February 24, 2006

Environment - Hoosier National Forest; Lead Paint

National Forest. The Indianapolis Star today has an editorial today headlined "Forest land selloff isn't a smart deal." Some quotes:

Even if Indiana schools and communities were to receive a significant chunk of money, selling off land in the Hoosier National Forest still wouldn't be a good idea.

But they won't. Most of the money from the proposed sale of 868 acres of Hoosier National Forest land will go to schools and counties in the West. Oregon, California and Washington would receive about two-thirds of the money provided for schools, roads and other services in areas with large tracts of national forest holdings. * * *

[S]elling off public land to pay for rural schools is like tearing down the front porch and using the wood to heat the house. It erodes an invaluable national treasure without solving long-term funding problems for rural communities.

For background, see this ILB entry from Feb. 19th.

Lead Paint. An AP story reports on an important jury decision yesterday in Rhode Island:

Three former makers of lead paint are liable for a product that has poisoned Rhode Island children for years, a jury ruled in a verdict that could result in the companies paying millions in clean-up costs.

Wednesday's verdict came after a more-than-three-month trial in which Rhode Island -- the first state to sue the paint industry over lead -- argued that the substance has sickened tens of thousands of children, contaminated homes and burdened landlords.

Former Rhode Island Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse, who brought the lawsuit in 1999 and is now running for the Senate, pronounced the verdict "an incredibly important turning point in this fight." He said it could pave the way for similar lawsuits in other states.

"I certainly think other attorney generals will be looking at the success of the litigation today," he said.

The state asked the jury to force the former manufacturers of lead pigment or paint to deal with the mess, though it did not seek a specific dollar amount.

Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein will decide later what the companies must do to clean up the contamination. The judge will also hear arguments Monday on whether the companies should have to pay punitive damages over and above the cleanup costs. * * *

The sale of lead paint was banned in 1978 in the United States after studies showed it can cause brain damage and other serious health problems in children. But in Rhode Island and other states with older houses, many homes still have lead paint. * * *

Dr. Philip Landrigan, an expert in childhood lead poisoning at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, testified that a paint chip half the size of his fingernail, if swallowed, could send a child into a coma or convulsions.

The state argued that the companies or their corporate predecessors continued to manufacture lead pigment even after they realized the dangers.

The companies called no witnesses, saying the state failed to prove its case.

Last June, the state dropped DuPont Co. from the lawsuit after it agreed to pay several million dollars to a nonprofit group to remove or cover over lead paint, and for public education and compliance programs in Rhode Island.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on February 24, 2006 08:30 AM
Posted to Environment