May 27, 2008
Recalls on Track to Break Record Set Last Year
Washington, DC—Consumers Union calls on Congress to finalize the strongest product safety law and send it to the President, noting the 2.5 million children’s products recalled this month for violating a 30-year-old a lead paint standard. Currently, the House and Senate are negotiating differences in product safety reform legislation that passed the House in December and the Senate in March.
According to a Consumers Union report released this month, the May recalls are in addition to nearly 10 million unsafe products recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) between January and April. At the current rate, the CPSC will issue more than 800 recalls in their 2008 fiscal year, a 70 percent increase over last year.
Among the recalled products, about 800,000 units between January and April were recalled because they violated CPSC’s lead paint standard—a problem which appeared over and over again last year and continues to be a problem in 2008. Of the recalls, almost six million units were children’s products—toys, clothing, bicycles, pacifiers, rattles, games, and cribs.
Consumers Union is asking the members of Congress who are negotiating the final CPSC legislation to ensure that the new lead limits for children’s products are set as low as possible, and that the limits go into effect as soon as possible.
“The continued onslaught of recalls for violating a 30-year old lead paint standard is unacceptable,” said Ami Gadhia, policy counsel for Consumers Union. “The current recalls only further underscore the need for Congress to adopt the strongest provisions of the House and Senate versions of the CPSC modernization bills to help keep hazardous products out of our stores and our homes.”
“The stronger the legislation, the better protected consumers will be from unsafe products,” added Gadhia. “We hope Congress will take the strongest provisions in the House and Senate bills and move forward to give consumers much needed protections.”
Click here for a copy of the report.
Contact:
Jennifer Fuson
(202) 462-6262