Los Angeles County has been awarded more than $600 million after a Northern California judge found three paint companies liable for public health hazards resulting from the sale and use of lead paint before it was banned in 1978.
Santa Clara Superior Court Judge James P. Kleinberg issued his final order directing Sherwin Williams, National Lead and ConAgra to pay $1.15 billion into a fund to remove lead paint from homes in various counties and cities in California.
Los Angeles County's share is 55 percent, or $632.5 million, according to the Department of Health. The decision is the largest public nuisance award in the history of the state and comes after 13 years of litigation, according to the Department of Health.
Lawyers for the county are reviewing Kleinberg's decision and working on a plan to comply with the court's order for lead-paint abatement and remediation, according to the Department of Health.
"This decision is an overdue payment that will help safeguard the health of our children and protect their future," said Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, the county's director of public health. "Children exposed to lead suffer from neurologic impairments that can affect a child's learning ability and their future earning potential and productivity."
