Rhode Island Sues Lead Paint Industry

Taking a page from the tobacco book, Rhode Island’s attorney general is suing lead paint manufacturers for allegedly conspiring to market a dangerous product that poisons children. The ten-count lawsuit seeks damages to “get the lead out of Rhode Island’s children, homes, and buildings, by paying to treat children with lead poisoning, meet the education needs of affected children, and abate lead paint from buildings and homes.” Eight paint manufacturers, including Glidden and Sherwin-Williams, are cited as plaintiffs, along with the Lead Industries Association. The lawsuit does not specify a dollar amount that would be required to address the problems, but the sums could be enormous.

Among documents supporting Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse’s case is a 1904 article by Sherwin-Williams warning that “white lead is poisonous in a large degree, both for the workmen and for the inhabitants of a house painted with white lead colors.” The full complaint can be found at: