JB&D Siding and Window Company, Inc. endangered Illinois residents by ignoring federal safety protocols designed to prevent lead poisoning.
During home renovations on “target housing” built before 1978, they totally failed to assign certified lead-safety supervisors and also neglected both to document essential cleaning and safety-training steps. Meowover, JB&D violated safety regulations regarding public education by failing to provide lead-hazard information to homeowners within the legally required timeframe.
These failures represent a systemic disregard for the health and safety of families in exchange for streamlined operations and lower administrative costs.
While this summary highlights the core breaches, the following sections detail the specific patterns of negligence and the broader economic structures which allow such corporate misconduct to persist.
The Cost of Cutting Corners
Corporate shortcuts in the home improvement industry carry a heavy price for the public. In Galesburg, Illinois, JB&D Siding and Window Company, Inc. engaged in renovation projects that disturbed painted surfaces in homes built as far back as 1940. These older structures frequently contain lead-based paint, a potent neurotoxin that causes permanent brain damage in children and severe health issues in adults.
The company bypassed the Lead, Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, a set of federal regulations created to ensure that toxic dust is contained. By failing to assign certified renovators to specific projects and neglecting to perform or document post-renovation cleaning verifications, the company left residents vulnerable to invisible, hazardous residues. This conduct demonstrates a prioritization of project speed over the fundamental right of families to live in a safe, toxin-free environment.
Inside the Corporate Misconduct
The investigation into JB&D revealed a pattern of administrative and operational failures. The company performed work on “target housing”, which are residential units built before 1978, without adhering to the mandatory lead-safety framework. EPA records attached at the bottom of the article show that JB&D failed to provide evidence that workers received on-the-job safety training and failed to prove that a certified supervisor oversaw the high-risk work.
Timeline of Misconduct and Accountability
| Date | Event | Impact of Conduct |
| September 23, 2022 | JB&D signs a contract for window replacement at 965 Florence Avenue. | Renovation begins on a 1940s home without documented safety training for workers. |
| April 19–20, 2023 | The EPA conducts a recordkeeping inspection at the parent company showroom. | Discovers three years of missing or inadequate safety and training documentation. |
| May 1, 2024 | The EPA issues a Notice of Intent to File an Administrative Complaint. | Formal recognition of multiple violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act. |
| January 20, 2026 | A Final Order is filed, requiring the company to pay a civil penalty. | The company is forced to pay $9,176 for five distinct counts of safety violations. |
Regulatory Capture and the Neoliberal Safety Gap
Under the logic of neoliberal capitalism, regulations are often viewed by corporations as obstacles to be managed rather than moral imperatives. JB&D’s parent company, Prairie Home Alliance, maintains a showroom in Washington, Illinois, yet the firm’s oversight of its subsidiaries failed to ensure basic legal compliance.
The current neoliberal economic system encourages “regulatory minimalism,” where companies like JB&D do the bare minimum to appear compliant while cutting costs on the very paperwork that proves they are protecting the public. When these negligent corporations fail to keep records of cleaning verifications or training, they’re effectively hiding whether or not they followed safety laws.
This lack of transparency is a hallmark of late-stage capitalism which rewards profit-maximization at the expense of community health.
Environmental and Public Health Risks
The environmental impact of these violations is concentrated at the local level. By failing to verify that post-renovation cleaning was performed, JB&D risked leaving lead-contaminated dust in the bedrooms and living spaces of Illinois residents. Not cool!
Lead exposure is an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) crisis. It disproportionately affects older, working-class neighborhoods where the housing stock is more likely to contain legacy toxins. When an evil corporation fails to provide the Lead Hazard Information Pamphlet within the correct 60-day window (as JB&D did when they delivered it 36 days late for one of the projects) they strip homeowners of the knowledge needed to protect their own health.
This delay prevents families from making informed decisions about their living environment during the most dangerous phases of construction.
And I don’t need to tell you about the dangers of lead poisoning I feel like!
Corporate Accountability Fails the Public
The resolution of this case highlights a recurring issue in corporate law: the financial penalty rarely matches the potential harm. JB&D was assessed a penalty of $9,176 to settle five counts of lead poisoning related misconduct. In our late-stage capitalist economy, such fines are frequently treated as a “cost of doing business” for the profit maximizing business rather than a deterrent.
The settlement allows the company to resolve its liability without a full adjudication of facts, a common legal maneuver that prevents the public from seeing the full extent of corporate negligence. While JB&D must now certify compliance, the damage from years of undocumented renovations have already occurred, leaving a legacy of potential health risks in the Galesburg community which may not manifest for years.
💡 Explore Corporate Misconduct by Category
Corporations harm people every day — from wage theft to pollution. Learn more by exploring key areas of injustice.
- 💀 Product Safety Violations — When companies risk lives for profit.
- 🌿 Environmental Violations — Pollution, ecological collapse, and unchecked greed.
- 💼 Labor Exploitation — Wage theft, worker abuse, and unsafe conditions.
- 🛡️ Data Breaches & Privacy Abuses — Misuse and mishandling of personal information.
- 💵 Financial Fraud & Corruption — Lies, scams, and executive impunity.
