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

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. - 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 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

Dollar General Corp., of Goodlettsville, Tenn., $100,000 Recalls: 08-007, #08-068, #08-080

Family Dollar Stores Inc., of Matthews, N.C., $75,000 Recall: #08-051

Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., of Oklahoma City, Okla., $50,000 Recalls: #08-084, #08-229

First Learning Company Ltd., of Hong Kong, $50,000 Recalls: #08-141, #08-174

Michaels Stores Inc., of Irving, Texas, $45,000 Recall: #08-248

A&A Global Industries Inc., of Cockeysville, Md., $40,000 Recall: #07-144

Raymond Geddes & Co, of Baltimore, Md., $40,000 Recall: #08-096

Downeast Concepts Inc., of Yarmouth, Maine, $30,000 Recall: #08-231

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

CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx