Gimpy
The Living Force
source: http://www.indystar.com/article/20090112/BUSINESS/901120324
January 12, 2009
Resellers breathe sigh of relief after lead-testing law is eased
Secondhand stores won't have to check all items for children
By Dana Hunsinger
\
Children's clothing resale shops have been granted relief from a law that had many of them fearful they might have to trash their inventory and close up shop.
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, set to go into effect next month, would have required that all products sold for children 12 and younger -- including clothing -- be tested for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable.
But after an onslaught of complaints from the resale industry and others, federal regulators shifted gears last week and said they would no longer require that used children's clothing, toys and other items sold at secondhand stores be tested for lead.
"Thank God. It's like an answer to my prayers," said Karla Kilgore-Bruce, owner of Kool Kids Resale Korner in Fishers. "It could have put us under."
Congress passed the law last year in response to widespread recalls of products that posed a threat to children, including toys with lead or lead-based paint. Supporters say the measure is sorely needed. One health-advocacy group said it found high levels of lead in dozens of products bought around the country, including children's jewelry, backpacks and ponchos. Critics say the law was too broad.
On Tuesday, the two-member Consumer Product Safety Commission, which interprets and enforces the law, took steps to loosen the regulations.
It gave preliminary approval to four exemptions to the law. They involve products made from natural materials, electronics and products that have lead that is inaccessible to children.
But no final changes will be made before Feb. 10, and that's the date after which all products not tested for lead content will be considered hazardous.
And even resale shops aren't completely out of the woods. While the new regulations state they don't have to test their merchandise for lead, they can still face charges if lead-laden products are linked to their stores.
Kilgore-Bruce said the testing is what would have been costly, and she will be especially cautious when it comes to the safety of the items she sells.
Kathleen Strickland, a Zionsville mother of a 16-month-old girl, has been following the issue.
"I worry a lot about the lead content in toys and clothes, especially because my daughter's at an age where everything goes in her mouth at one time or another," Strickland said.
And while she likes the general idea of the new regulations, she thinks it shouldn't single out thrift and resale stores.
"If they are out of the market, this guarantees that most of what we'll be able to buy for our children will be mass-produced imported junk," she said. "Yes. We should hold toy and clothing manufacturers accountable, but we must (assure) that the playing field is level."
This was forwarded to me from Hubby, since we do a lot of second hand store shopping.
January 12, 2009
Resellers breathe sigh of relief after lead-testing law is eased
Secondhand stores won't have to check all items for children
By Dana Hunsinger
\
Children's clothing resale shops have been granted relief from a law that had many of them fearful they might have to trash their inventory and close up shop.
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, set to go into effect next month, would have required that all products sold for children 12 and younger -- including clothing -- be tested for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable.
But after an onslaught of complaints from the resale industry and others, federal regulators shifted gears last week and said they would no longer require that used children's clothing, toys and other items sold at secondhand stores be tested for lead.
"Thank God. It's like an answer to my prayers," said Karla Kilgore-Bruce, owner of Kool Kids Resale Korner in Fishers. "It could have put us under."
Congress passed the law last year in response to widespread recalls of products that posed a threat to children, including toys with lead or lead-based paint. Supporters say the measure is sorely needed. One health-advocacy group said it found high levels of lead in dozens of products bought around the country, including children's jewelry, backpacks and ponchos. Critics say the law was too broad.
On Tuesday, the two-member Consumer Product Safety Commission, which interprets and enforces the law, took steps to loosen the regulations.
It gave preliminary approval to four exemptions to the law. They involve products made from natural materials, electronics and products that have lead that is inaccessible to children.
But no final changes will be made before Feb. 10, and that's the date after which all products not tested for lead content will be considered hazardous.
And even resale shops aren't completely out of the woods. While the new regulations state they don't have to test their merchandise for lead, they can still face charges if lead-laden products are linked to their stores.
Kilgore-Bruce said the testing is what would have been costly, and she will be especially cautious when it comes to the safety of the items she sells.
Kathleen Strickland, a Zionsville mother of a 16-month-old girl, has been following the issue.
"I worry a lot about the lead content in toys and clothes, especially because my daughter's at an age where everything goes in her mouth at one time or another," Strickland said.
And while she likes the general idea of the new regulations, she thinks it shouldn't single out thrift and resale stores.
"If they are out of the market, this guarantees that most of what we'll be able to buy for our children will be mass-produced imported junk," she said. "Yes. We should hold toy and clothing manufacturers accountable, but we must (assure) that the playing field is level."
This was forwarded to me from Hubby, since we do a lot of second hand store shopping.
