Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Director Missy Zombor proposed a resolution requiring MPS administration to consult with the Office of the Milwaukee City Attorney to explore legal options available to the district to “hold lead paint companies accountable” for lead-paint remediation costs in school buildings.
Lead-Safe Schools MKE (LSS-MKE) and Get The Lead Out Coalition (GTLO) support this resolution and call on the School Board to pass it at the next Board meeting on April 17th.
The resolution is logical and proactive. As the district begins to weigh the costs of remediation of this highly toxic hazard harming the health and well-being of MPS students, teachers and staff, we agree efforts must be made to find revenue to cover the costs of this daunting endeavor.
However, LSS-MKE and GTLO see this as just one option in what should be an arsenal of action. Such a legal option will take time to resolve in the courts. When California cities and counties sued lead-paint manufacturers in 2000 (a case referenced in Director Zombor’s resolution), it was a long-winding road to the settlement they reached in 2019 and it was for a fraction of the initial damages sought. Closer to home, the City of Milwaukee v. Mautz Paint (a Wisconsin lead-paint manufacturer) case began in 2001 and was lost at appeal in 2008.
MPS staff and students are being exposed to lead NOW and therefore time is of the essence. While we applaud any effort by Director Zombor to seek ways to fund lead remediation, we implore the school district, the City of Milwaukee, and the state to seek out additional means for covering the costs.These efforts must include actions by Mayor Cavalier Johnson to pay for lead remediation in MPS buildings that the City owns.
Decades of lead poisoning in Milwaukee’s homes and schools must stop.
