By WEAA News Staff
Maryland officials have reached a $2.2 million settlement with the owner of a Baltimore broadcast tower and its contractor after lead paint chips spread across surrounding neighborhoods, reaching parks, playgrounds and daycares.
Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and Maryland Department of Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain announced the settlement and consent decree against Television Tower, Inc., which owns an approximately 1,000-foot broadcast tower near Malden and Rockrose Avenues, and its contractor, Skyline Tower Painting, Inc.
In May 2022, TTI hired Skyline to repaint the tower, despite Skyline not being accredited to provide lead paint abatement services in Maryland. According to the complaint, Skyline removed lead paint by scraping and power washing with no controls or containment to prevent the spread of debris. The work, conducted between May 28 and June 21, 2022, caused lead paint chips to spread as far as a quarter to half a mile into surrounding neighborhoods including Woodberry.
Lead paint is a well-documented public health threat. Repeated exposure can cause irreversible harm to the brain, nervous system and development of young children, with those six and under most at risk.
"Our expectation is clear: work that risks public health must be done safely and in full compliance with the law. That did not happen here," said Attorney General Brown. "This settlement reflects our values — accountability, restoration, and a firm standard that environmental safety is not optional."
Governor Wes Moore echoed those concerns. "No family should have to worry that something as basic as playing outside could put their child at risk," he said. "We are committed to making this right — by cleaning up these neighborhoods, enforcing the law, and making sure this never happens again."
Cleanup efforts have been ongoing since the work was halted, though additional paint flakes have continued to surface due to unstabilized paint releasing from the tower. TTI has since hired a new, lead-accredited contractor using a containment system designed specifically for the tower. Skyline is no longer involved.
Under the settlement, TTI must complete all tower repainting work using proper containment systems by June 30, 2026, conduct a final cleanup and inspection of the surrounding area and repeat a soil sampling study to confirm no increase in lead levels since a 2023 study. Skyline will permanently cease all lead abatement, painting and surface remediation work in Maryland, and its principals are prohibited from forming or controlling any company offering such services in the state.
Mayor Brandon Scott called the settlement a step toward accountability for harm done to some of the city's youngest and most vulnerable residents. "For decades, the city has required property owners to mitigate the harm associated with lead paint, and we are committed to holding companies that fail to do so accountable," Scott said.
Secretary McIlwain added, "This case underscores why strong environmental safeguards — and the careful handling of hazardous materials like lead — are so essential to protecting public health."
This story was produced with AI assistance and edited by WEAA News Staff.