Companies Who Sold Lead Paint Despite Knowing Its Risks Want To Shift Cleanup Bill To Taxpayers
The companies' argument is that the ruling that they are responsible for paying to clean up the sites rewards landlords who have neglected their properties, and also creates new burdens for homeowners whose houses have lead paint but do not qualify for abatement funding based on criteria set by the court.
KQED:
Lead Paint Makers Balk At Huge Toxic Cleanup Bill — They Want You To Pick Up The Tab
Three companies found to have sold toxic lead paint for decades -- despite knowing it posed health hazards for children -- are waging a major battle to avoid paying the several hundred millions of dollars in liability that California courts have slapped on them. ... The companies have hired a slew of lobbyists to push their agenda in the state Legislature and poured $6 million into a campaign to put an initiative on the November ballot that would shift clean-up costs to taxpayers. (Rosenhall, 5/10)
In other public health news —
Los Angeles Times:
Fatal Falls Are On The Rise For America’s Senior Citizens
Fatal falls are on the rise in the United States, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2016, a total of 29,668 Americans ages 65 and older died as a result of a fall. In other words, falls ended the lives of 61.6 out of every 100,000 senior citizens that year. Back in 2007, there were 47 fall-related deaths for every 100,000 senior citizens. (Kaplan, 5/10)