Lead Testing Deadline Delayed
Carol Lavinthal, who sews children’s clothes in her home, faced an unhappy choice. She could spend thousands of dollars to comply with a sweeping new federal law — or she could become an outlaw.
She was braced for a Feb. 10 law that would have required her Just Kidd’n business to stringently test for toxic substances every one of the handmade dresses, pants, overalls and reversible caps it sells. Then it would have to certify and permanently label each item.
“This could literally put an end to my business,” said Lavinthal, 52.
But she and other small-business owners who make children’s products got a reprieve late Friday.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted 2-0 to push back by one year the deadline for manufacturers to begin testing for lead and other harmful substances before their products hit the market.
The deadline was set when Congress last summer imposed the toughest lead standards in the world in passing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The measure bans lead beyond minute levels in products for children 12 or younger.
Photo by Just Kidd’n.
Jaclyn on February 6th, 2009 2:20 pm
Out of all the thing’s to delay testing on…lead testing in childrens products should not be one of them! it is such a huge and fatal problem…why would we delay this testing knowing that it could mean the lives of hundreds of children?
Angela on February 6th, 2009 9:00 pm
Jaclyn: While the law means well, it will put a halt to many wonderful home-based businesses because the cost of testing alone is enough to drive them out.
Personally I’m glad they decided to delay it. If anything, I hope they’ll use this time to further revise the law so the people who make handmade kid products won’t be driven out of business by outrageous testing fees. After all, it was the lead in toys coming from China that spiked the need for this in the first place. We shouldn’t kill our home-based business men and women for the mistakes made by companies overseas.
cassy on February 9th, 2009 11:30 pm
thats a bad news why they delayed it? it will affect many lives of children who can take this lead or maybe it can be result into death,tha goverment must do any thing to stop this products who are possitive from lead content,coz this is dangerous to the children not only to the them but to those wo can eat this food that has a lead content,agency that has the right to stop this things must recall all the products that are already displayed in the supermarket for the safety of the buying public!
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