Report Shows Imminent Need to Strengthen & Reform CPSC

Press Release

Report Shows Imminent Need to Strengthen & Reform CPSC

Washington , D.C. - With the holiday season and toy shopping in full-swing, Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro ( Conn. -3) highlighted a report, which found that 35 percent of the toys tested, many on store shelves, contain lead - a far larger percentage than the 20 percent of the toys found to be safe.

Tests on over 1,200 children's products found that 35 percent contain lead - many with levels much higher than federal recall standards - while only 20 percent of the toys and other products had no trace of lead or harmful chemicals. The lead-tainted toys include a Hannah Montana card game case, a Go Diego Go! backpack and Circo brand shoes. The tests were performed by a coalition of environmental health groups across the country and the findings are being released by the Michigan-based Ecology Center along with the national Center for Health, Environment and Justice and groups in eight other states.

"With the height of holiday shopping here, parents want to know that the toys they purchase are safe. Unfortunately, these tests emphasize that lead-tainted toys continue to line store shelves this holiday season. It adds more fuel to the fire that the CPSC is incapable of fulfilling its mission of keeping our children safe from dangerous toys. That is why I have introduced legislation to prevent tainted toys from entering the marketplace," stated DeLauro.

As an advocate for strengthening and improving the Consumer Product Safety Commission, DeLauro has introduced one of the only comprehensive pieces of reform legislation in the House, The Safety Assurance For Every (SAFE) Consumer Product Act, which would reduce the federal lead standard to 40 parts per million from the current standard of 600 ppm. Many components of the bill have been incorporated into comprehensive product safety legislation moving through the House. With over 160 bipartisan cosponsors, it enjoys the support of consumer advocacy groups including the Consumer's Union, American Academy of Pediatricians, U.S. PIRG, the National Consumers League, and the Consumer Federation of America, among others.

Added DeLauro, "There is real momentum for reform and the common thread is our renewed commitment to protect public health and ensure consumer confidence. The government has an obligation to its citizens. It is that simple. With the holidays here and toys at the top of every child's wish list, we cannot afford to wait any longer."

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