NL Wins Lead Paint Lawsuit

The City of Milwaukee lost a suit to recover $53 million in lead paint remediation costs from NL Industries. A Wisconsin state court jury rejected the city's claim that the former lead pigment and paint maker had created a public nuisance and was liable for cleanup costs. Donald E. Scott, a lawyer for NL, says, "Litigation is a distraction from the proven solution of enforcing the law against landlords who neglect their property." Courts in Missouri and New Jersey ruled earlier this year that former lead pigment manufacturers could not be held liable for public nuisance claims. Still outstanding is a multi-billion-dollar verdict from earlier this year, also based on a public nuisance claim, brought by the State of Rhode Island. The case is now on appeal to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.