CT gets millions to evaluate lead hazards
Connecticut's state government and the city of Waterbury are sharing millions in federal grants to evaluate lead hazards to children and eliminate lead paint in hundreds of homes.
U.S. senators Joe Lieberman and Richard Blumenthal say Waterbury will get almost $2.5 million. The state Department of Social Services will get $3 million in a partnership with the Connecticut Children's Medical Center.
Lead was banned in house paint, cookware and products marketed to children in the U.S. in 1978. However, it can sometimes still be found in many older homes.
When young children swallow lead in paint chips or inhale it in dust, it can cause delays in physical and mental development, shorter attention spans and behavioral problems.
Studies say even low levels of exposure can irreversibly influence children's development.