LEAD PAINT COMPLIANCE IN MARYLAND --- FOR LANDLORD BEGINNERS

www.charlesjeromeware.com                                " Here to make a Difference."


Charles Jerome Ware, LLC, is a premier, Maryland-based, nationally recognized and respected, landlord and landowner lead paint poisoning defense law firm.  For an initial courtesy consultation, contact us at (410) 720-6129. If you have sued in a lead poisoning case in Maryland or the District of Columbia, we can help you.


In my many years of  successfully defending landlords in lead poisoning cases in Baltimore city, one of the key issues I have found for beginning landowners and landlords is their general unawareness of the prevalence of lead (Pb) everywhere in the Baltimore environment : the air we breathe, dust, drinking water, trees, paints, flowers, food, pipes and plumbing, toys, cosmetics, jewelry, pottery, ceramics, soil, playgrounds, industrial workplaces, home remedies, drinks and medicines, other products, and --yes-- residences (both houses and apartments) built before 1978.


Because lead poisoning (Plumbism) is such a public health problem in the Baltimore area, several Local, State and Federal rules, statutes and laws have been implemented over the years in an attempt to reduce the number of lead poisoning victims in Maryland as well as throughout the United States. It is very important that landowners and landlords follow these mandatory standards and laws, some of which include:


(1) The Federal  Residential lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, commonly known as  TITLE X.  This law is enforced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and it enforces regulations related to TITLE X rental property buildings (including residential houses and apartments, etc.) that were constructed prior to 1978. An important follow-up addendum, so to speak, to this law is :
(2) The Federal Real Estate Notification Rule (also known as the "Lead Disclosure Rule"), which ids a "right-to-know" law that requires notification and disclosure of certain lead-based paint information. This follow-up Federal law took effect in 1996.
(3) In 1951, Baltimore banned the use of lead pigment in interior paint used in Baltimore housing. This was the very first such restriction involving lead-based paint in the United States.
(4)  In 1971, the Federal Lead Poisoning Prevention Act was passed.
(5)  In 1978, the Federal government  banned  consumer uses of lead paint --- including both inside and outside uses with residential housing ( including houses and apartments, etc.). There are a few exceptions, of course, which need not be discussed here.
(6) Maryland law ( the " Maryland Lead Law") requires that anyone who acts as a supervisor or contractor for the purpose of abating or removing lead paint must be accredited by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). Workers who perform "purposeful" lead abatement or removal work shall be trained by a training provider approved by MDE, The Maryland Lead Law does not cover owners or contractors doing maintenance or renovation work in an owner-occupiec pre-1978 dwelling unit.