Cleveland Lead Law

The City of Cleveland addresses lead hazards through Chapter 240 of its Code of Ordinances. Chapter 240 declares the presence of hazardous levels of lead-based paint or lead-contaminated dust, soil, or water pipes to be a public nuisance, which the Cleveland Commissioner of Environment is empowered to immediately control (see Cleveland, OH, Code of Ordinances §§ 240.01(g), 02, 09). The lead hazard ordinance also creates license, permit, safety, and disclosure requirements for lead abatement work (see §§ 240.03, 05), prohibits the sale of lead contaminated toys, and incorporates State and Federal laws requiring disclosure of lead hazards during the purchase or leasing of housing (§ 240.06).

While these provisions offer some important basic protections, the lead hazard ordinance could certainly do more when it comes to discovery and investigation of lead hazards. The ordinance authorizes lead investigations and risk assessments only where a child under six years of age has lead poisoning (§ 240.04(a)). In other instances, property owners can voluntarily submit to an inspection in order to obtain a Lead-Based Paint Free certificate, but are not required to do so. For this reason, it is critical that parents and guardians of young children remain vigilant, inspect their homes for any sign of chipping, peeling, or defective paint, alert landlords upon discovery of any defects, and bring their child to a doctor for blood-lead testing, which should be repeated on a monthly basis to ensure that levels do not go up.

If you have a young child that you believe has lead poisoning, it is important to get your child tested right away. If your child has tested positive for lead poisoning, please contact our lead poisoning attorneys by calling us or filling out the form on this website. An experienced lead poisoning attorney can help your child get the compensation he or she needs to overcome the disabilities resulting from exposure to lead. Let us help you determine whether you and your child have a case.