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CPSC announces $500,000 in penalties for lead violations

July 9, 2009
World Trade\Interactive

The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced recently that nine children’s product manufacturers have agreed to pay a total of $500,000 in civil penalties to settle allegations that they knowingly manufactured, imported or sold toys and other children’s articles with paint or other surface coatings that contained lead levels in violation of federal law. The CPSC notes that these products were recalled in 2007 and 2008 and include items such as toys, children’s metal jewelry, children’s pens, metal water bottles, pencil pouches, sunglasses and children’s Halloween pails and baskets. Tests showed that paint or surface coatings on these children’s products contained lead in excess of 600 parts per million, or 0.06 percent, by weight. One firm’s testing revealed that its products contained surface coatings with nearly 60 percent lead.