Library May Ban Children's Book to Comply with New Anti-Lead Law

Posted by Alex in Book & Lit, Crime & Law on January 30, 2009 at 7:32 pm

Remember our post about the new Consumer Product Safety Act that will make it illegal to sell children’s products unless they were tested for lead and phthalates?

Besides threatening to put local artisans and small businesses who can’t afford the test (at $4,000 a pop), the law has another unintendend consequence: library may ban children’s books in order to comply:

The Consumer Product Safety Act was passed by Congress Aug. 14 in reaction to findings that some toys imported from China contained dangerous levels of lead. President Bush signed the legislation, which includes stricter limits on lead levels in children’s products.

The American Library Association said it fears the law has unintended consequences, and libraries may face the choice of closing their children’s sections, banning children under the age of 12 or completing expensive lead testing for every book. [...]

This unintended consequence of the new law isn’t the first to rear its head since Congress passed it. A flurry of complaints from second-hand retailers afraid of being bankrupted by the new requirements prompted the commission to release a clarification on Jan. 8 stating the law doesn’t require all children’s items to be tested.

However, it does make it illegal to distribute any children’s item that exceeds the lead limits, said Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman Joseph Martyak. Though libraries, schools, and thrift shops aren’t required to test books for lead, they could face civil or criminal penalties if a book with an elevated lead level leaves its shelves.

Link – Thanks Tiffany!

 
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Safety Law Will Effectively Ban Handmade Toys, Children Clothes

Posted by Alex in Crime & Law, Medicine, Money & Finance, Toy & Video Games on January 7, 2009 at 2:34 am

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Add this to long things of things that prove the adage: a new law taking effect February 10th requires all children’s clothing and toys to be tested for lead and phthalates. Any product not tested by that day will be considered hazardious waste, regardless whether they contain lead.

Because testing costs thousands of dollars, many small manufacturers and even stores will be forced to close:

Barring a reprieve, regulations set to take effect next month could force thousands of clothing retailers and thrift stores to throw away trunkloads of children’s clothing.

The law, aimed at keeping lead-filled merchandise away from children, mandates that all products sold for those age 12 and younger — including clothing — be tested for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable. Those that haven’t been tested will be considered hazardous, regardless of whether they actually contain lead.

"They’ll all have to go to the landfill," said Adele Meyer, executive director of the National Assn. of Resale and Thrift Shops.

Moral of the story? Buy your kids clothes before February 10th – you may not be able to find ‘em in many stores and probably won’t find them in second-hand stores, either: Link | Find out more at the Handmade Toy Alliance

 
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