The number of lead inspections done by the state could be cut in half, after two of four state inspectors were laid off from the state's childhood lead poisoning prevention program.

"It reduces by close to 50 percent the program's capacity to provide environmental protections to housing units," said Public Health Director Dr. Jose Montero.

At the same time, the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority is preparing to announce a $3 million grant for lead abatement and education for low-income families with children.

But officials at both the finance authority and the Department of Health and Human Services say the grant will not fill the role of HHS's poisoning prevention program. State employees are planning a rally today in support of the state lead program.

"Basically, we're not going to be able to fill our statutory requirements," said Terry Jarvis, a project manager for the lead poisoning prevention program who has been demoted. "We won't have sufficient staff, so we're probably not going to be able to do preventive work."

The lead poisoning prevention program was created in the early 1990s. In 2007, it was given broader authority to do enforcement. The program does environmental inspections and case management for lead-poisoned children, licenses lead paint professionals, monitors blood lead levels, and does education and policy development. Typically, children in high-risk areas will get a blood test as part of their routine medical care, and the results are sent to the state. If a child has high levels of lead in their blood, the state will send an inspector to determine whether their residence contains lead.

The areas of the state considered high-risk for lead poisoning are Laconia, Franklin, Berlin, Newport, Claremont, Manchester, Nashua and Rochester. The homes most at risk for elevated lead levels are those built before 1978.

Diana Richard, secretary of the lead poisoning prevention program, said the program had 10 staff members, including four inspectors. In the current round of layoffs, which came after state employees rejected a proposed contract, two inspectors were laid off, one project manager was demoted and a laboratory technician who tested blood samples was laid off. The cuts will save an estimated $480,000.

Montero said the biggest impact will be in prevention.

"We're not going to be able to do all of those inspections," Montero said.

For example, if one child in a multifamily building is found to have lead poisoning, state law allows inspectors to examine all the units in that building. Now, Montero said, there may not be time to do that.

Patricia Tilley, state administrator of maternal and child health, said another impact may be on voluntary inspections. Currently, when the state gets a report of a child with elevated lead levels, it determines whether the home is owner- or renter-occupied. If it is a rental property, the law requires the department to do an inspection and order the landlord to fix any lead problems. The department does not have legal authority over owner-occupied properties, but it used to offer to voluntarily help families determine where the lead poisoning came from.

"That's the sort of service we won't do anymore for families," Tilley said.

The layoffs could also increase the backlog of inspections. There are about 190 outstanding orders - places where children were reported to have elevated lead - though some are several years old, Tilley said. In 2008, the state confirmed 140 cases of elevated lead in children under 6. That year, three inspectors completed 68 orders.

Now, Tilley said, one residential inspector will have to cover the entire state. The state's second remaining inspector is paid by the federal government to deal with worksite compliance issues, ensuring that contractors working on renovations do so safely.

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