TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Lead from old paint can poison the mind of a child and leave him or her with brain damage.
Now the City of Tucson can help more low income home owners remove the threat that lead presents.
Lead paint's mainly an issue in older neighborhoods.
Homes built before the lead paint ban of 1978 have the potential for lead contamination and a lot of Tucson homes fit that timeline.
Removing lead, or the more usual step of sealing it in takes specially trained contractors who know how to do the job without spreading dangerous lead dust.
No one has a precise count of how many homes still have lead paint but just based on the age of the homes, the Arizona Health Department lists 22 local zip codes as high risk for lead paint.
Now the City of Tucson has won a $2.9 million dollar Federal grant to abate lead hazards in homes.
That should cover about 180 homes.
To qualify your home must have been built before 1978. You must have a child six years old or younger or a child that age must be a frequent visitor. And you must meet low income guidelines.
The city of Tucson's still working out fine details of how to connect people to the program. They do plan to have the program up and running in less than two months.
For more information visit this webpage, call 520-837-5336 ore-mail.
