A new lawsuit against the New York State Department of Health alleges that recently adopted lead poisoning prevention regulations don’t go far enough.
Specifically, petitioners from several nonprofits say these regulations don’t satisfy the requirements of a state law that went into effect last year.
The suit says, per the regulations, soil inspections can be skipped if snow is on the ground. The suit also says the threshold for an acceptable amount of lead in paint is too high and allows property owners to just paint over the lead paint instead of removing it.
Finally, petitioners allege that the regulations violate the state constitution’s right to a healthful environment.
The state’s Lead Rental Registry law went into effect last November. According to the state, the programs aims to inspect, certify and track pre-1980 rental homes for peeling and chipping lead-based paint.
Spectrum News 1 has reached out to the Department of Health for comment.