Attorney General James Delivers $250,000 to Improve Lead Safety Training for Construction Workers

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will provide $250,000 to create a new program to train and certify approximately 720 construction workers in lead-safe work practices in New York City. The training program will be funded by Attorney General James’ 2021 settlements with A&E Real Estate Holdings (A&E) and Chestnut Holdings of New York, Inc. (Chestnut Holdings) over numerous violations of New York City’s lead paint laws on their properties. Administered by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), the new training program will provide day laborers and other low-wage workers involved in residential renovation, repair, and painting activities with the knowledge, skills, and certifications needed to protect themselves and their families from lead-related hazards they may encounter at work. Today’s funding more than doubles the safety training NYCOSH provides to construction day laborers each year, giving hundreds of workers the opportunity to expand their employment eligibility while safeguarding their health and the health of those around them. 

“All too often, day laborers and other low-wage construction workers are the workers most exposed to hazardous and avoidable lead paint conditions on the job,” said Attorney General James. “This new lead safety training program invests directly into these workers, helping them protect themselves and their families from the dangers of lead. I am proud to support the health and safety of our construction workers and help ensure a lead-free future for all New Yorkers.”  

“We're deeply grateful to Attorney General James for entrusting NYCOSH with this critical investment in low-wage construction workers' lives,” said NYCOSH Executive Director Charlene Obernauer. “Lead-safe training isn't just regulatory compliance, it's the difference between a worker going home healthy to their family and keeping their family safe from the dust on their parent's clothes. This training program will help keep workers safe and healthy and we are proud to be in partnership."

Under federal and New York City law, renovation, repair, or painting activities that disturb lead paint in buildings built before 1978 must be performed by workers who have received official training and certification in lead-safe practices. Workers enrolled in the free NYCOSH lead-safety training program will receive this required training and certification, as well as Know Your Rights training, further educational materials on the risks of lead, and testing kits to identify lead contamination in their homes. The new NYCOSH lead-safety training project will train low-wage construction workers across New York City and will be offered in both English and Spanish. Several studies indicate that low-wage day laborers are disproportionately not trained in lead-safe work practices. As a result, they often lack the necessary information and skills to protect themselves and their families from lead brought home from job sites. Studies also indicate children of lead-exposed construction workers are six times more likely to have toxic blood lead levels than children whose parents do not work in lead-related industries.

Lead paint remains pervasive across New York City’s housing stock, as 80 percent of New York City housing was built before New York banned lead-based paint in 1978. In addition to protecting workers and their families, lead-safe training and certification can increase workers’ employability and wages for a wide range of construction projects. Approximately eight in 10 residential renovation projects in New York City involve renovation, repair, or painting activities requiring training and certification in lead-safe practices. Prevailing wage and union contractors also strongly prefer and often require lead-safe certifications for hiring.

Attorney General James is providing $250,000 to fund this lead-safe training program for two years using funds from OAG’s 2021 settlement with two New York City real estate management companies, Chestnut Holdings and A&E Real Estate, after investigations found numerous violations of New York City’s lead paint law at their properties across the city. The NYCOSH lead-safe training project is the final project funded through the combined $810,000 secured from those settlements. The OAG has also allocated funds to a New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) small landlord lead education program and a tenants’ rights capacity-building project.

This is the latest in Attorney General James’ efforts to address lead safety in New York. Last month, Attorney General James announced a $110,000 investment to support the Syracuse Lead Freedom House, a first-of-its-kind lead-safe temporary housing facility that will provide safe shelter and support for families displaced by lead hazard abatement in their homes or whose child needs lead-safe housing while being treated for lead poisoning. In April 2026, Attorney General James secured a settlement with Syracuse landlords Brian A. Murphy and Harry Murphy following an investigation into dangerous lead hazards and unsafe living conditions throughout their rental properties. In September 2025, Attorney General James secured $515,000 from Buffalo landlord Farhad Raiszadeh for repeated violations of lead paint laws. In December 2024, Attorney General James secured $6.5 million from Lilmor Management, one of New York City’s worst landlords, for persistent violations of lead paint, mold, and housing maintenance laws.

This matter was handled for OAG by Policy Advisor Peter C. Washburn, under the supervision of Environmental Protection Bureau Chief Lemuel M. Srolovic. The Environmental Protection Bureau is a part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.