Crossroads at Big Creek is asking the state and county to pay for landfilling polluted soil, but they haven't tried suing Sherwin-Williams
https://www.co.door.wi.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09262023-1531#page=2 describes what is going on. Scrolling down in the link, the polluted area is mapped out.
This could be an opportunity to hold Sherwin-Williams accountable. At the time it was sold, the pesticide was known to be toxic, such as in this ad from the April 28, 1911 Door County Democrat which promises a “uniformly poisonous” product:
From the March 10, 1911 Door County Democrat:
Besides lead arsenate, Sherwin Williams also sold Paris Green, which is copper(II) acetate triarsenite, another arsenic-containing pesticide. From the March 29, 1912 Door County Democrat:
How much soil can be contaminated with 10,000 pounds of lead arsenate spray? This is from the January 29, 1915 Door County Democrat:
Besides these pesticide ads, this is one from the April 13, 1901 Door County Advocate for their lead paint, which is not only “safe”, but “it can’t go wrong”:
Sherwin-Williams has paid out millions across the country over their lead based paints. It seems that the company’s lawyers settle because they expect to lose in court if they don’t. This is an internet search for looking up past lawsuits: https://www.google.com/search?q=sherwin-williams+lead+settlement
Crossroads at Big Creek could sue Sherwin-Williams so they must pay to clean up the mess. Or could Door County sue, since it has a cost share program?
If they still need cleanup money after they are done with Sherwin-Williams, they could also sue the DuPont Corporation, since DuPont purchased Grasselli, which sold Grasselli Arsenate of Lead Paste in Door County as a competitor to Sherwin-Williams.
From the March 31, 1911 Door County Democrat:
Ads courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive