More than 1,400 certificates approving lead inspections have been revoked in Maryland after three children tested positive for elevated lead levels.
The action calls for the reinspection of tenant-occupied rental properties as a result of an “inspector’s failure to comply with work practice standards,” the Maryland Department of the Environment said in a news release.
A complaint in the matter was filed by Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown in Baltimore City Circuit Court against Green Environmental, LLC and its owner, Rodney Bryan Barkley.
The lawsuit claims the business is responsible for “multiple violations related to lead paint inspection practices and improper use of a lead detection device that uses radioactive materials.”
Criminal charges were also filed against Barkley for violating the state’s environmental laws in relation to the “falsification and submission of lead paint certificates,” the release said.
“We are reaching out to rental property owners and their tenants to be sure that families are protected from the serious health hazards of lead paint,” Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain said.
“Most inspectors do their jobs well and are vital to preventing childhood lead poisoning, but those who fail to follow the law endanger the heath and well-being of unsuspecting and vulnerable people. Parents of children residing at these properties should contact their child’s pediatrician or primary care physician to get tested.”
In Maryland, any rental homes that were built before 1978 are assumed to contain lead paint, requiring must-pass safety inspections.
The presence of lead in a home has the potential to harm a child’s development. It has been linked to behavior and learning problems in the long term.
See a list of the properties impacted by the reinspection notice online.
The units on the list are spread across the state.
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