INSURERS MOVE TO LIMIT R.I. LEAD CLEANUP COSTS

Insurers for three former lead paint manufacturers are seeking to limit insurance policies held by the paint companies.

Underwriters at Lloyd’s of London filed the lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court last month after a Rhode Island jury decided three former lead paint makers — Sherwin Williams, Millennium Holdings and NL Industries — created a public nuisance by selling the now-banned product and should be responsible for cleaning it up.

Rhode Island Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein is deciding on an abatement and cleanup program, which could cost millions of dollars that the paint companies could try to collect from their insurance.

Jack McConnell, a private attorney who represented the state, called the lawsuit routine.

In the lawsuit, Lloyd’s says the former lead paint makers didn’t disclose the dangers of lead paint when they purchased their policies.