Healthy Air For North Denver (HAND)

Green Team

NCCC Youth Corps and Americorps

FrontRange Earth Force Partnership

Photovoice

Environmental Justice Outreach Partnership

Eliminating Lead Poisoning

Eliminating Lead Poisoning

Lead is a poison that causes brain damage in young children when ingested. Most of Denver’s old homes, especially those built before 1940, were painted with lead-based paint. If lead-based paint is in poor condition or is on a surface with a lot of friction (like old windows) it can pose a serious risk for young children. About 100 children a year are found with lead poisoning in Denver but we believe there may be many more for whom lead poisoning is undetected.

Groundwork Denver serves on the steering committee of the Coalition to Eliminate Lead Poisoning in Denver. The Coalition recently completed a strategic plan to eliminate lead poisoning as a public health problem by 2010. Click here to view the draft strategic plan>

Email Wendy to comment on the plan.
wendy.hawthorne@groundworkdenver.org

Identifying houses with high risk for lead poisoning

Groundwork Denver is working in partnership with Northeast Denver Housing Center (www.nedenverhousing.org) on a project to identify houses that present a high risk for lead poisoning of children. These houses are typically built prior to 1940, have old wood-framed windows, and are in distressed condition. Using innovative technology, we are surveying homes using a hand-held computer tool. When a high risk home is identified, we are educating the occupants about free blood lead testing events and free renovations to make the home lead safe. The goal of the project is to improve the homes before children are poisoned.