Three companies that once manufactured lead paint are challenging a proposed plan to pay about $2.4 billion to clean up Rhode Island homes that contain lead paint.

Rhode Island won a public nuisance lawsuit against the former lead paint manufacturers–Sherwin-Williams Co., NL Industries Inc. and Millennium Holdings–in February 2006, which the companies are appealing to Rhode Island Supreme Court.

The companies asked the Rhode Island Superior Court to either strike down the plan or throw out certain parts.

The companies contend the plan has major legal weaknesses; for example, they say the state cannot seek money from them because the jury did not award monetary damages. A lawyer for Sherwin-Williams told AP, “The AG has said one thing throughout the trial, and now that the trial is over, is trying to switch the whole ballgame to something very different.”

The companies also say the state's planned home inspections would violate Rhode Island residents' privacy rights.

The plan seeks to inspect and clean up around 240,000 homes over four years and would require 10,000 workers. It targets homes built before 1980 and other buildings such as elementary schools and child care centers.