! WI Milwaukee Loses Appeal in Lead Paint Lawsuit !
The city of Milwaukee lost an appeal in a lawsuit against a former lead paint manufacturer. The lawsuit would have required the company to pay for the cleanup of 11,000 properties ($52.6 million).

! Realtors Violated Lead Paint Disclosure Rules !
The corporate owners of Coldwell Banker real estate brokerage offices in four New England states face fines of up to $1.1 million for violating lead paint disclosure rules, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday. Inspections and a review of documents by the EPA uncovered 102 violations of disclosure rules committed by Coldwell Banker offices owned by NRT New England LLC of Waltham, Mass., and Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services LLC of Parsippany, N.J.

! EPA Weakens New Lead Control Rules After White House Objects !
After the White House intervened, the Environmental Protection Agency last week weakened a rule on airborne lead standards at the last minute so that fewer known polluters would have their emissions monitored. The White House Office of Management and Budget objected to the way the EPA would have some facilities, such as lead-emitting battery recycling plants, monitored.

! EPA Places Stricter Regulations on Airborne Lead !
The Environmental Protection Agency tightened the regulatory limit on airborne lead for the first time in 30 years, lowering the legal maximum to a tenth of what it was on the grounds that it poses a more serious threat to young children than officials had realized.

! Even Tiny Lead Levels are Bad !

"There is no safe level of lead in the blood in terms of effects on the brain. Any amount of lead has the potential to affect neurobehavioral performance."

! High Calcium Levels During Pregnancy Lowers Fetal Lead Levels  !
Women who consume high levels of daily calcium supplements during pregnancy show a marked reduction in lead levels in their blood, according to a new study, which suggests that calcium could play a critical role in reducing fetal and infant exposure.

! 2008 Health Plus Lead Alert !

! Bush Signs Consumer Bill; Boosts Funding, Cuts Lead !
Legislation aimed at improving U.S. consumer product safety after millions of Chinese-made toys were recalled last summer was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Thursday. The measure dramatically cuts the amount of lead allowed in toys and other children's products, increases funding for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and partially bans controversial plastic-softening chemicals called phthalates.

! Lawyers in R.I. Lead Paint Case Argue Court Costs !
A lawyer for Rhode Island said that three former lead paint companies should not be allowed to recoup costs from a nine-year legal fight with the state that ended last month in their favor. The state Supreme Court in July overturned a landmark jury verdict that found Sherwin-Williams Co. and two other companies responsible for creating a public nuisance. The three companies now want to recover they money they spent defending the lawsuit, which was filed in 1999, though they have not specified the precise amount.

! Updated Recall List: Lead in Children's Toys and Products (7-11-08) !

! Childhood Lead Exposure Associated With Criminal Behavior in Adulthood !
New research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) reports the first evidence of a direct link between prenatal and early-childhood lead exposure and an increased risk for criminal behavior later in life.

! Know Your Home……Protect Your Family from Lead Poisoning (PDF) !
As summertime approaches, many of us focus on improving our home environments. As you begin to open and close your windows and doors, paint, or renovate your home, be aware of the age of the property you are working on; If it was built before 1978, it can be a source of lead-based paint exposure.

! RI High-stakes Lead Paint Case to Rhode Island Supreme Court !
Three companies that once made lead paint have spent nearly a decade fighting off a lawsuit that could force them to pay billions to clean up contaminated properties. The case heads to the Rhode Island Supreme Court on Thursday, more than two years after a jury found that Sherwin-Williams, NL Industries Inc. and Millennium Holdings LLC were liable for creating a public nuisance in the first verdict of its kind.

! MI Local Churches Lead Charge Against Lead Poisoning (PDF) !
Cleansing Saginaw area homes of their lead poisoning potential sits atop the agenda for some local religious leaders. The Faith Based Lead Poisoning Prevention Project stemmed from these individuals’ desire to improve public health, said the Rev. Marvin Smith, pastor of Mount Olive Institutional Baptist Church.

! District Connects Lead with Special Ed !
Galveston Independent School District has too many African-American students in its special education program, a problem that has earned the island’s schools extra scrutiny from the Texas Education Agency.

! Plan to Eliminate Childhood Lead Poisoning in Michigan !
Michigan Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Commission, June 30, 2007

! Wisconsin Lead Lawsuits go to U.S. Court !

! Too Many Children on Medicaid Not Tested for Lead Poisoning !
In Ohio HMOs are paid a lump sum fee, in advance, for delivery of Medicaid services. Researchers at the Government Accounting Office found that the system creates "an incentive to underserve or even deny beneficiaries access to needed care since plans ... can profit from not delivering services" (GAO 1997). Some 47,000 Medicaid-eligible children are born in Ohio each year (OHPa 2004). Considering this profit incentive not to screen, it is not surprising that in Ohio, the blood lead screening rate for one and two year-olds has yet to exceed 40% despite the requirement for HMOs to screen 100% of these children.

! MI Michigan Lead Commission Report (PDF) !
The Report to the Legislature from the Michigan Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Commission has been released and is now available online.

! MI Key Differences Among Professional Lead Services (PDF) !
This chart explains the differences among the 3 types of professional services available to detect lead in your home - the Lead Hazard Screen, the Lead Inspection, and the Risk Assessment.