Nine Companies Penalized for Selling Children’s Products that Violated the Federal Lead Paint Ban

 The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that nine children’s product manufacturers, importers and sellers have agreed to pay more than $500,000 in civil penalties for allegedly violating the federal lead paint ban.

The penalties settle allegations that the firms 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 settlements have been provisionally accepted by the Commission.

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 ppm, or 0.06 percent, by weight. One firm’s testing revealed that its products contained surface coatings with nearly 60 percent lead. In 1978, a federal ban was put in place which prohibited toys and other children’s articles from having more than 0.06 percent lead (by weight) in paints or surface coatings. Lead can be toxic if ingested by young children and can cause adverse health consequences.

CPSC has ordered the following firms to pay civil penalties to the federal government:

- Cardinal Distributing Co. Inc., of Baltimore, Md., $100,000

          Recall: #07-157

          Settlment Agreement (pdf)

- Dollar General Corp., of Goodlettsville, Tenn., $100,000

          Recalls: 08-007, #08-068, #08-080

          Settlment Agreement (pdf)

- Family Dollar Stores Inc., of Matthews, N.C., $75,000

          Recall: #08-051

          Settlment Agreement (pdf)

- Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., of Oklahoma City, Okla., $50,000

          Recalls: #08-084, #08-229

          Settlment Agreement (pdf)

- First Learning Company Ltd., of Hong Kong, $50,000

          Recalls: #08-141, #08-174

          Settlment Agreement (pdf)

- Michaels Stores Inc., of Irving, Texas, $45,000

          Recall: #08-248

          Settlment Agreement (pdf)

- A&A Global Industries Inc., of Cockeysville, Md., $40,000

          Recall: #07-144

          Settlment Agreement (pdf)

- Raymond Geddes & Co, of Baltimore, Md., $40,000

          Recall: #08-096

          Settlment Agreement (pdf)

- Downeast Concepts Inc., of Yarmouth, Maine, $30,000

          Recall: #08-231

          Settlment Agreement (pdf)

In agreeing to settle the matters, the firms deny CPSC’s allegations that they knowingly violated the law.

Cardinal Distributing Co. Inc. Jewelry

Dollar General Toy Cars

Family Dollar Halloween Pails

Hobby Lobby Halloween Baskets

First Learning Co. Ltd. Blocks Wagon

Michael’s Stores Writing Pens

A&A Global Industries Children’s Bracelets

Raymond Geddes Children’s Pencil Pouches

Downeast Concepts Metal Water Bottles