Lead Poisoning Law and Resources

Summary of the Maryland Law - 2004 Updates

Baltimore City - www.leadsafehomes.info

Maryland Lead Poisoning Hotline
1-800-776-2706 - TDD 1-410-631-3009
This government resource has a wide range of information including the results of any visual inspection or lead dust tests done in your home.

Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning
1-800-370-LEAD (5323) or 1-410-534-6447
2714 Hudson Street, Baltimore, MD 21224
A private non-profit that offers:
I) Lead Safe Housing Registry - Available moderate-income rental housing certified as "lead safe."
2) Help for families trying to work with their landlords to repair lead hazards (Instructions on sending certified mail, response to Notices, lead safe work practices and temporary relocation).
3) Counseling Prevention Education.
4) Help with abatement loans, HEPA-Vacuum rentals and free lead cleaning kits for tenants.

The Baltimore City Lead Paint Abatement Program provides $8500 grants to remove lead paint in homes located in the following city zip codes: 21205, 21211, 21213, 21215, 21216, 21217, 21218, 21223, 21224, 21230, 21231.
Properties must meet the State of Maryland affordability test to become eligible. There are no income limits for the program, but the property must be structurally sound and may not exceed (4) dwelling units. Contact the Baltimore City Health Department for more information: (410) 365-6690.

Federal Law and National Resources
Detailed information on federal law and how to obtain copies of the federally-mandated pamphlet, call the National Lead Clearinghouse at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) or the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning at (410) 534-6447 or www.leadsafe.org.

Why is lead exposure Important? If you live in or own an older house, lead paint may harm pregnant women or young children. In fact, the Baltimore Sun reports that Baltimore ranks among the most hazardous cities in the nation for lead poisoning. The majority of Baltimore cases occur in Park Heights, Sandtown and Middle East.

Which dwellings are covered by the law? If you live in or own a rental house built before 1950, the house (if not occupied by the owner) falls under a special Maryland law that protects tenants and imposes certain duties on landlords. The law also limits a landlord’s liability if s/he can meet certain standards. In addition, owners of houses built between 1950-1978 may also participate in the special liability limitation program.

An excellent resource and starting place is the MD Department of the Environment’s "Lead Line" website. The site includes "What Every Parent Should Know About Lead", tips on how to identify lead paint hazards, a special package of material for tenants, owner rights and responsibilities plus resources if you suspect lead is present (including laboratories for testing, lead blood level information and lead paint abatement services and contractors).

The Lead Hazard Reduction Grant and Loan Program is a statewide program that assists homeowners and landlords in removing lead-based hazards in their properties. For more on the program, see the Department of Housing and Community Development website.

Is this legal advice? This site offers legal information, not legal advice. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information and to clearly explain your options. However we do not provide legal advice - the application of the law to your individual circumstances. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney. See our section on Finding Legal Help.

About this website. The Maryland State Law Library, a court-related agency of the Maryland Judiciary, sponsors this site. The website was developed (1999-2007) as part of an access to justice initiative by the Maryland Legal Assistance Network (MLAN) in collaboration with a number of legal services providers serving low and moderate income Marylanders. In the absence of file-specific attribution or copyright, the Maryland State Law Library may hold the copyright to parts of this website. You are free to copy the information for your own use or for other non-commercial purposes with the following language “Source: Maryland's People’s Law Library – www.peoples-law.org. © Maryland State Law Library, 2007.”

Comments?

Need help with the legal terms?

Understanding Legal Research