Los Angeles County Announces Lead Paint Hazard Mitigation Program Funded by $134 Million Lead Paint Settlement

This past summer the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) announced the settlement of landmark litigation that now provides significant funding for the remediation of lead paint hazards in residential housing throughout Los Angeles County. $305 million is being paid to a number of counties and cities in California by three former lead paint manufacturers and Los Angeles County is receiving $134 million of this amount.

In October, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to use these funds as part of a new Lead Paint Hazard Mitigation Program. The initiative will work to remove lead paint hazards from thousands of homes in the county that were built before 1951 and house low income families with children under 6 years of age or pregnant women. In addition, the program will provide resources and education on lead hazards and how to prevent childhood lead poisoning.

In a news release from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the agency stated: Lead is toxic, and exposure of children to lead can cause severe and permanent damage to the developing brain, including learning disabilities, deficits in attention and concentration, memory, comprehension and impulse control. This settlement will allow Public Health to create an intervention program that is targeted to provide services to those young children and their families who are most at risk for lead poisoning. Public Health will partner with the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA) to create the Lead Paint Hazard Mitigation Program.

“It is well known that lead poisoning is one of the most common and preventable environmental illnesses in California,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager at LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “In just Los Angeles County, almost 3,000 children are diagnosed with lead poisoning each year. At LA Testing we also provide resources to residents concerned about exposure to lead and other toxic heavy metals. With multiple laboratories across the state, LA Testing offers comprehensive environmental testing for lead from air, dust, water, soil, paint and other materials, along with all of the sampling supplies needed, easy to use test kits and personal protective equipment (PPE) to guard against exposure risks.”

To learn more about lead testing services, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794. To access lead or other indoor environmental quality (IEQ) test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.


About LA Testing
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: : AIHA-LAP, LLC (AIHA-LAP, LLC EMLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC IHLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC ELLAP), CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro, San Diego and Ontario.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

LA Testing

(1) 856-303-2503

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