Judgment Requires Exterior Painting and Roofing Contractor to Pay $10,000, and to Obtain Lead and Asbestos Training

MADISON — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has announced that Krause Konstruction Company, a LaCrosse area construction firm that specializes in church exteriors, will pay $10,000 for violations of Wisconsin laws aimed at protecting public health and the environment, and it will obtain lead and asbestos certifications.

Generators of solid waste are required by law to determine whether the waste they are generating is hazardous or not, to document the quantity of hazardous waste they are generating, and to properly contain and dispose of such waste. According to the complaint filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) at the request of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Krause violated Wisconsin's hazardous waste testing, generation and disposal laws when it power-washed a LaCrosse church's steeple and caused paint chips to scatter on the lawn, sidewalk and street. Lead is considered a hazardous waste at concentrations of greater than 5 mg/L, and DNR testing of the paint chips showed lead levels in excess of 38,000 mg/kg. Krause worked with the DNR to clean up the paint chips, and it ultimately replaced the sod at the church and disposed of the contaminated sod at a landfill.

As part of the settlement of the State's claims against the company, Krause also has agreed that it will obtain the training, and maintain the certifications necessary, to ensure that its employees understand how to properly and safely handle lead paint and asbestos.

"Studies have shown that lead exposure in young children can cause reduced IQ and attention span, learning disabilities, developmental delays and a range of other health and behavioral effects," Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said. "The Department of Justice will continue to work with the DNR to ensure that all contractors comply with hazardous waste laws."

Assistant Attorney General Diane Milligan represented the State in this case.

Copies of the Complaint, Judgment and the Stipulation and Order for Judgment are available at the following links: