Mattel, Fisher-Price pay $2.3M fine - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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million civil penalty for violations of the federal lead paintr banin children’s toys. The civil fine comed after the completed an investigation into the importinvg and selling of toys with lead paint levels that exceedexdthe .06 percent lead by weight limit that is federallgy mandated. According to the CPSC, which recentlty crafted the Consumer Product SafetyImprovement Act, aimed at toughening requirements for lead and phthalates in children’s products, Mattel importes up to 900,000 non-compliant toys between July 2006 and September 2007. Fisher-Pricew imported over 1 million non-compliant toys betweeh July 2006 andSeptember 2007.
Amongt the toys in question were the popular Sargtoy car, various Barbie producta and some Go Diego Go toys. Most of the toys that had excessivw levels of lead were shipped to retail store for sale tothe public. In a massive toy recall took place where about 95 Mattepland Fisher-Price toy models were determine d to have exceeded the lead Lead can be toxic if ingested by young children and can cause serious healtn problems. The topic of lead paint in children’s productsa has been a hot button issue as of with the rollout of the controversial CPSIsof 2008.
Toy manufacturers and retailers have said the new regulationzsare vague, costly and often requiring the duplicated testing of products. Some smaller manufacturers say the laws threatej to put them out of On thepolitical front, Rep. Louise Slaughter, said protecting children has to be thetop priority. “When the toy recalpl happened (in 2007) I called the head of Fisher-Price and I told him they needefd to start making their toyshere again,” Slaughter “We didn’t have these kind of problemds before they imported the toys.
” This civil which is the highest for violations involving importation or distributiob of a regulated is the third highest of any kind in CPSC “These highly publicized toy recalls helped spur Congressional action last year to strengthen CPSC and make even strictedr the ban on lead paint on toys,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Thomaxs Moore. “This penalty shoulf serve notice to toy makersw that CPSC is committer to the safetyof children, to reducing theird exposure to lead, and to the implementation of the Consumer Produc Safety Improvement Act.
” As part of a story featured in our sisterf publication, The Buffalo Law Journalp , looking at the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, whichb ran prior to the announcement of these fines, Fisher-Price decliner to provide a representative to discuss the lead paint Instead, they issued a written statement whicjh read, in part: “Mattel is well positioned as it generallg designs its products to meet global Mattel has also been a leader in the effortws of industry to establish voluntary industryu standards.” The statement also said that Mattepl would continue to complyh with the applicable regulations of the CPSIA.
Mattelp was unable to be reached for commentfMonday morning, though a representative said they woulcd have a response later in the day. Despite agreeinh to pay $2.3 million in penalties, Mattel and Fisher-Price deny that they knowingly violateddfederal law, as alleged by CPSC