If you need a reminder to take lead paint remediation seriously, look no further than a recent $2.2 million settlement and consent decree in Baltimore.

The case, which was resolved last week, requires Television Tower Incorporated to clean up lead paint chips and inspect and monitor the surrounding neighborhood for three months, including soil sampling.

“This settlement is about accountability and about protecting people. No family should have to worry that something as basic as playing outside could put their child at risk,” said Maryland Governor Wes Moore in a press release. “We are committed to making this right—by cleaning up these neighborhoods, enforcing the law, and making sure this never happens again.”

It all started in 2022 when TTI hired a painting company to power wash paint off a 1000-foot broadcast tower. TTI knew that the tower contained lead-based, but hired a company that wasn’t accredited to provide lead abatement services in Maryland, according to the complaint.

The painting company proceeded to scrape and forcefully power wash the chipped paint off the tower, without taking proper precautions to prevent the toxic substance from contaminating nearby neighborhoods. The complaint estimates that the lead-laden debris spread for up to a quarter mile around the tower.

The painting company was forced to stop offering lead abatement services in the state.