Archive for January, 2009
January 31st, 2009 | 
Author: January 30, 2009 – The Consumers Union along with 5 other groups sent a letter to President Obama urging him to appoint new leadership in the CPSC that will help address concerns about who exactly is affected by the CPSIA as well as other concerns about which products are included.
"Unfortunately, the current CPSC leadership, which is responsible for implementing this critical new law, has delayed taking the necessary steps to ensure its successful implementation. As a result, the agency has not properly addressed concerns being raised by small businesses, home crafters, thrift stores, book publishers, and libraries among others. These concerns involve, for example, establishing common-sense exclusions from lead testing for textiles and paper-based books that are proven to be lead-free, component part testing where appropriate for lead and phthalates, and clear guidance for thrift stores. This did not have to be the case. The CPSIA already includes mechanisms for solving these legitimate concerns raised by these groups in a manner that protects the public health.
As a result, this has created a climate of confusion and is contributing to broader efforts to undermine consumer safety in this nation. Effective leadership at the CPSC is urgently needed to help implement the law as intended, to provide common sense interpretations of the law, and to clarify pervasive misstatements and confusion about this consumer protective law."
The CPSIA – the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, a law passed August 2008 and is suppose to be enforced February 10, 2009 has been under attack with the way the law is written since the bill was passed last year. The CPSC, although has been given the authority as written in the law to address concerns and provide exemptions to the rule as needed, is saying they don’t have that authority.
Clearly everyone is fed up with the CPSC skirting their allowed responsibilities and dancing around the issues.
January 30, 2009 – The Association for Library Service to Children reports that on February 2, 2009 the CPSC will post on their website that the the CPSC will postone enforcement of the CPSIA on books in library collections until further investigation. This doesn’t mean they are off the hook. Only that enforcement has been postponed for awhile.
January 28, 2009 – The National Association of Manufacturers sent a letter to the CPSC requesting an emergency stay of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (H.R. 4040). Their concerns are warranted as the CPSC has yet to address the many concerns brought forth by manufacturers, businesses, schools, crafters and work-at-home moms.
"Considering the breadth of potentially affected types of children’s products – shoes, apparel, bedding, jewelry and accessories, books, educational materials, electronics, luggage, toys, housewares, sports equipment, bicycles, recreational vehicles and home furnishings – clearly developed final regulations are first necessary to enable compliance determinations and effective enforcement. Otherwise tens of thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of employees could be adversely impacted. This position is consistent with recent correspondence from Members of Congress to the CPSC indicating that they did not intend such consequences from a chaotic implementation of the CPSIA. This developing situation in which products which may ultimately be determined to be in full compliance with the lead content requirements are nonetheless pulled from shelves and in some instances even destroyed in the middle of the worst economic environment for businesses and consumers in decades clearly does not serve consumer safety, the welfare of the public at large, or market stability."
Submitted on behalf of NAM and many, many other concerned associations.
Full letter can be viewed here
