Even though Californians’ rate of exposure to lead paint is below the national average, California is the last state where governments are suing businesses that once manufactured paint that contained lead.
That’s according to James Copland, director of the Manhattan Institute’s Center for Legal Policy, a conservative think tank that seeks to protect businesses from legal liability.
Copland argues in the Los Angeles Times that the lawsuit is frivolous because the public nuisance laws that are the basis of some California counties’ case against the manufacturers don’t apply, and because California already has achieved much success in reducing people’s exposure to lead paint.