August 20, 2001—On July 11, a Washington-area landlord, David Nuyen of Silver Spring, Md., pleaded guilty to obstructing justice and making false statements to federal officials in order to conceal his failure to notify tenants of the presence and hazards associated with lead-based paint. The case is the first-ever criminal prosecution in the United States related to lead hazard warnings that are required by the Lead Hazard Reduction Act of 1992.
If the terms of the agreement are approved by the Federal Court in Greenbelt, Md., Nuyen will serve two years in prison, provide all tenants with new notices about actual and potential lead hazards and retain an independent contractor to assess lead paint hazards and develop a lead abatement plan for the properties he currently owns in the District of Columbia and Maryland.
The Lead Hazard Reduction Act requires landlords to notify tenants about actual and possible lead hazards, provide an EPA pamphlet to tenants describing how to minimize lead dangers to children and document their compliance with the law.
The investigation was conducted by EPA, HUD, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s offices for the District of Maryland and the District of Columbia, and the Department of Justice.
Based on materials received by FMLink from environ.com
