WASHINGTON - November 22 - ACORN is taking its campaign against Sherwin-Williams to international fronts. On Thursday, Nov. 30, ACORN members will protest at Sherwin-Williams’ headquarters and stores in Toronto, and Vancouver, Canada; Tijuana, Mexico; Lima, Peru and Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as selected United States cities, demanding international negotiations leading to a cleanup of lead hazards in housing across the two continents.

In the United States the community organization will stage demonstrations at Sherwin-Williams stores, manufacturing and distribution sites in Little Rock, Ark.; Jackson, Miss.; Arlington, Texas; Orlando, Fla.; Hartford, Conn.; and Atlanta, Ga.

 “The poisonous effects of Sherwin-Williams’ years of neglect has spread across two continents,’’ said ACORN President Maude Hurd. “We’re calling for the company to live up to its responsibility and help pay for the cost of cleaning up its toxic waste, which has caused pain and suffering to thousands of children and adults.’’

ACORN wants Sherwin-Williams to help fund a cleanup effort in cities across the Americas. Although the sale of lead paint was banned in all these countries in the 1970’s, lead poisoning is still a serious problem – millions of homes still have lead paint on the walls and tens of thousands of children are still being poisoned.

The U.S. estimates that there are over 300,000 children a year with lead poisoning. The number of poisoned children in Canada and in Latin America is unknown because of a serious lack of attention by health ministries in these countries.

An ACORN study released in May, Sherwin-Williams: Covering Our Communinities in Toxics, and recent litigation in Rhode Island and other states, have documented that Sherwin-Williams profited from the sale of lead paint for decades after the company knew it was poisonous. (The report and more information are available at www.sherwinwilliamspoinonpaint.com ).

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