Hawaii among states settling with Mattel for $12M
Advertiser Staff
Hawaii, along with 38 other state, reached a $12 million settlement agreement with Mattel, Inc. and Fisher-Price, Inc., its subsidiary, over a voluntary recall of the company's toys for excessive lead paint during 2007.
The agreement, filed today in the First Circuit Court of the State of Hawaii, requires Mattel to pay the states by January 30.
Hawaii will receive $200,000 as part of the settlement agreement, which will be used to fund consumer education and enforcement of consumer protection laws in the state.
"This important settlement will help protect our keiki from the dangers of lead poisoning by ensuring that a major toy manufacturer will stop producing toys with dangerous levels of lead," stated Stephen Levins, executive director for the State Office of Consumer Protection.
From August 2, 2007 through October 25, 2007, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled approximately 2 million Mattel and Fisher-Price toys manufactured in China, alleging that the toys contained excessive lead in surface coatings.
Lead levels taken of the recalled toys during the course of the states' 16-month investigation uncovered levels that exceeded the federal standard.
Since the multi-state lawsuit was filed, Congress has enacted the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which now provides more stringent standards for lead in surface coatings and substrates, starting in February, 2009.
The multi-state agreement includes:
— More stringent standards for accessible lead both in surface coatings and substrates, effective for toys manufactured after November 30, 2008.
— More stringent standards ahead of the timelines provided by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.
— A requirement for the company to notify the states if excessive lead in any of its products violates state or federal law, or the consent judgment, and to work with to remedy such violations
Hawai`i consumers with questions regarding this multi-state settlement should contact the state's Consumer Resource Center at 587-3222 (1-800-394-1902 toll-free).
