TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - A judge has halted Toledo’s requirement that small apartment buildings built before 1978 receive inspections and testing for lead paint.
Lucas County Judge Linda Jennings on Friday granted an injunction that halts the program in a lawsuit filed by a Toledo landlord and the Toledo Property Investors Network. The lawsuit argues the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department lacks legal authority to enforce the law and that it discriminates against owners of small apartment buildings while excluding owners of larger apartment complexes from lead paint testing.
Toledo requires inspection and testing of buildings with one to four units and at-home day care centers.
City-county Health Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski says the ordinance is intended to safeguard children’s health.
Jennings said she will rule soon on whether the law is valid.
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