Toxic chemicals

April 10, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

FUNTASTIC Recalls Fake Teeth Due To Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Name of Product: Hillbilly Teeth

Units: About 26,000

Importer: FUNTASTIC, of Houston, Texas

Hazard: The gray surface paint on the teeth contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.    » read more »

April 9, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

OKK Trading Recalls Toy Robots Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Name of Product: Interchange Robot Toys

Units: About 2,000

Importer/Retailer: OKK Trading Inc., of Commerce, Calif.

Hazard: Surface paints on the toys contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.    » read more »

Apr 3, 2008 -- LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, after consulting with Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) Director David Maxwell and Arkansas State Health Officer Dr. Paul Halverson, has decided that Arkansas will accept FEMA mobile homes for use by Arkansas storm victims as temporary housing.

FEMA trailers in Louisiana: Photo by Joshua Miller (CC)

Arkansas is accepting only those mobile homes that have been tested by FEMA and registered formaldehyde levels at or below 40 parts per billion (ppb).    » read more »

April 3, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Children’s ‘Main Street Drag’ Sunglasses Recalled by StyleMark Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Name of Product: Children’s Sunglasses

Units: About 144,000

Importer/Distributor: StyleMark Inc., of Ormond Beach, Fla.

Hazard: Surface paint in the orange lettering on the temples of the sunglasses contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.    » read more »

April 1, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Lock and Leash™ Locks

Master Lock recalls Lock and Leash™ locks due to violation of lead paint standardUnits: About 27,000

Importer: Master Lock, of Oak Creek, Wis.

Manufacturer: Fullyear-Brother Enterprise Co. Ltd, of Taiwan

Hazard: Red surface paint on the locks contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.    » read more »

March 31, 2008 -- House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman released the following statement in response to EPA’s issuance of a final rule on lead renovation, repair, and painting:

“The new lead rule cuts too many corners. It won’t provide the comprehensive protection for children that the law requires.    » read more »

March 31, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today issued the following statement on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to require lead-safe practices during the renovation and repair of housing, child-care facilities, and schools:    » read more »

BALTIMORE, MD (March 18, 2008) -- Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that the Ameridel Investment Corporation T/A Delta Property Management, located at 205 East 28th Street in Baltimore has been convicted in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City with illegally submitting a false lead certificate to the Maryland Department of the Environment. Judge Timothy J. Doory imposed a fine of $30,000 of which $20,000 was suspended, five years probation, and ordered the company to cooperate with the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Lead Program.

In addition, the company must pay the costs of bringing all properties owned or managed by the company or Gedeon Thomadis into full compliance with lead paint risk reduction requirements.    » read more »

March 18, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Galison/Mudpuppy Wire Bound Journals and Calendars Recalled Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard

Name of Product: Wire-O Bound Journals and Calendars

Units: About 90,000

Manufacturer: Galison/Mudpuppy, of New York, N.Y.    » read more »

Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch issued the following statement concerning the briefs that the State filed today in connection with the appeal of the historic verdict in the lead-paint litigation. The Rhode Island Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments on this case on May 15, 2008.

“Today we filed arguments on behalf of the State urging the Supreme Court to uphold the historic verdict entered by a jury of Rhode Island citizens after hearing months of arguments. In part, our briefs assert:    » read more »

March 17, 2008 -- The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be hosting the Toxic Chemical Release Inventory (TRI) Reporting Workshops, to be held on May 1 in Novi.

Facilities in certain industry sectors are required to submit TRI reports that list toxic chemicals used, report releases and waste transfers of the chemicals, as well as waste management activities.    » read more »

March 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: X Force Commander Toy Airplanes and Super Famous Toy Cars and Motorcycles

Units: About 5,000

Importer: S.U. Wholesale Inc., of Vernon, Calif.

Hazard: The recalled toys contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, DC- U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) today introduced an amendment to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reform bill that would help protect Americans from dangerous levels of formaldehyde in textiles including clothes, draperies, fabric and carpeting. The amendment would require the CPSC to regulate and test formaldehyde in textiles.    » read more »

Three percent overall reductions in California releases, persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemical releases also down

SAN FRANCISCO, 02/21/2008 -- Industries operating in California reduced toxic releases by 2.8 percent in 2006 compared to 2005, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This is the third year in a row for overall reductions in toxic releases.    » read more »

Reports rank Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) among the very lowest in toxic releases

02/21/08, HONOLULU – Four facilities in the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) reported a total of 6,779 pounds of toxic chemicals released into the air, land and water in 2006, according to new data released today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.    » read more »