Tenants at 89 E. 116 St. in Harlem are upset about the shoddy cleanup of their apartments following a fatal gas explosion last month. The tenants have filed suit against their landlord and New York City, complaining that toxic lead paint hazards were not mitigated before tenants were told it was safe to return home.
‘Whenever an inspector observes a child six years old or younger in the apartment at the time of the [move-in] inspection, the law requires HPD to do a room-by-room, surface-by-surface inspection for paint that is not intact,” said the Department of Housing and Preservation Development (HPD) in a written statement.
Some of the tenants wisely brought in independent consultants to measure lead levels. The results were alarming, as one of the apartments registered 420 micrograms of lead per square foot – more than 10 times the legal limit.
Lead poisoning is a potentially deadly condition that can harm a child’s brain development. Lead paint has even been tied to behavioral problems like attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
If your child has suffered unsafe levels of lead in his or her blood, it is a good idea to contact an experienced New York City lead poisoning attorney to protect your legal rights.
Source: NY Post, “City Tests For Lead Contamination Near Harlem Explosion Site,” Carl Campanile, April 11, 2014
