Lead residue poisons three children in Tacoma rental home

The parents of three young children are suing their landlord, claiming that smelting in the home before they moved in exposed their children to lead that may have caused brain damage.

John and Heather Jones say the youngest of their children, ages 1, 3 and 6, is developmentally disabled. The boy was 2 weeks old when they moved into the home and only recently started to crawl, his father said.

Officials say the owner, George J. Phillips of nearby Graham, melted spent bullets and other lead scraps into weights in a business at the home for 23 years.

Efforts to reach Phillips were not immediately successful. He did not appear to have a listed telephone number, and it was not clear if he had hired a lawyer.

Lead is a powerful neurotoxin which can cause brain damage and behavioral problems, especially in young children.

The Joneses say they knew of the smelting activities, for which Phillips wore protective gear, and did not allow their children to play outside. Even so, blood samples a doctor took late last year indicated they had lead poisoning.

Tests conducted by a consultant for family's lawyer found lead contamination in the carpets, and lead levels in soil around the house were almost 10 times the state's threshold for mandatory cleanup, said Marian Abbett, a program manager for the Ecology Department.

The Pierce County Health Department has declared the house uninhabitable, and the state agency is urging neighbors to have their soil tested.

Under state and federal law, property owners are responsible for cleanup of hazardous waste.

Phillips removed four or five truckloads of smelting equipment and scrap before fencing off the property, John Jones said.

The department had asked that Phillips block access to the property, and he has cooperated with state and local officials, Abbett said.

A lead abatement consultant has been asked to determine whether cleanup of the house is feasible.