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Press Releases Multi-media News Articles
Recent Press Releases:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
More Lead-Tainted Baby Bibs Found
Disney, Toys R Us Named in New Legal Action on Lead in Bibs
For Immediate Release
August 15, 2007
CONTACT: Caroline Cox, 510-594-9864 x308; 541-654-2626 Cell Charles Margulis, 510-697-0615 Cell
Oakland, CA - The Center for Environmental Health announced today that independent testing has found more baby bibs with high levels of lead. Vinyl bibs purchased from Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores, including a bib with Disney's "Winnie the Pooh" characters and store brand bibs marketed as “Koala Baby” and “Especially for Baby” bibs, tested for lead levels that are between three and four times the legal limit for lead in paint. CEH also found a “Kidcosmic” brand vinyl bib sold in a Lisa Kline store with similarly high lead levels. In May, CEH exposed Wal-Mart for selling vinyl baby bibs tainted with lead, resulting in the company stopping the sale of the bibs nationwide.
"Lead in vinyl baby bibs poses a reckless, unnecessary hazard to children at the most vulnerable age," said Caroline Cox, Research Director at CEH. "These companies have known for months that vinyl bibs could be a threat to children, yet they continued to put their profits ahead of children's health. We expect these bibs to be removed from store shelves immediately."
CEH took legal action yesterday, notifying the retailers that their bibs violate California law. In Illinois, the baby bibs would also be illegal, as that state is the only one in the country with a law banning any children's product that contains more than 600 parts per million of lead.
Remarkably, after tests by three independent labs found high levels of lead in WalMart bibs in May, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released an inaccurate and misleading statement, claiming that lead in baby bibs is a hazard "only [for] used bibs that are worn or have deteriorated." In fact, all of the tests on the WalMart, Toys R Us, Disney and Lisa Kline bibs were on new bibs. CEH testing includes a swab test which demonstrates the presence of lead on the surface of baby bibs, where children would be in direct contact with lead, followed by a lab test for total lead content.
"CPSC has a chance to step up to the plate and order a national recall to protect children, but the recent past has shown that the agency is more concerned with protecting companies that make and sell poisonous products," said Charlie Pizarro, Associate Director of CEH. "Their refusal to accept the scientific findings of laboratories from across the country shows that the CPSC cannot be trusted to protect children from lead poisoning." An Associated Press expose in January showed that when CEH discovered high lead levels in vinyl children's lunchboxes, CPSC conducted tests that were rigged to show lower lead levels.
Recent reports have suggested that CPSC, with a staff of four hundred and an annual budget of $63 million, is under-resourced and under-funded. CEH, which in the past two years has helped stop the sale of millions of lead tainted children's products, has a staff of ten and an annual budget of about $1 million.
CEH recommends that parents avoid vinyl bibs and replace any vinyl bibs with organic cotton bibs or bibs made from other safer materials. "Parents need to know that vinyl is a poison plastic that doesn't belong near their kids," said Cox.
CEH has a ten-year track record of protecting children from hidden lead risks in consumer products, using legal action to eliminate lead threats from vinyl lunchboxes, baby powders, children's medicines, imported candies, and metal and vinyl jewelry.
The Associated Press story on CPSC and lead lunchboxes is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/18/AR2007021800528_pf.html
Click here for Center for Environmental Health's Report on Baby Bibs.
###
May 2, 2007
CONTACT: Caroline Cox, 541-654-2626 (cell); Alexa Engelman, 510-594-9864
ex 310; Charles Margulis, 510-697-0615 (cell)
Note: Marilyn Furer is available for comment at 847-593-1099.
Legal Action Forces Wal-Mart to Pull Lead-Tainted Baby Bibs in Three
States
Oakland, CA- The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) today announced
that their legal action has resulted in Wal-Mart stopping the sale of
the company’s store-brand baby bibs from stores in California,
after independent testing found high levels of lead in the vinyl bibs.
Testing commissioned by CEH found that one of the Baby Connection brand
vinyl (PVC) bibs, which were sold exclusively at Wal-Mart stores, had
a lead level of 9700 parts per million (ppm), more than 16 times greater
than the legal limit for lead in paint.
After learning about the lead-contaminated bibs from CEH, the states
of Illinois and New York also tested the bibs and found high lead levels,
and today announced that Wal-Mart would also stop selling the bibs in
those states indefinitely. However, it is unclear whether Wal-Mart is
planning to resume selling the tainted bibs in its stores elsewhere
in the U.S. or abroad.
"These vinyl bibs pose a lead poisoning threat to infants and toddlers
who are at the most vulnerable age," said Caroline Cox, Research
Director at CEH and author of a report on lead in baby bibs released
by CEH today. "As every parent knows, young children commonly chew
and suck on their bibs, so if the bib is contaminated, children are
being directly exposed to lead."
CEH was first alerted to the problem of lead in baby bibs from Marilyn
Furer, a Chicago-area grandmother who used a home lead test on her grandson’s
bib after she learned that CEH found high lead levels in vinyl lunchboxes.
Noticing her grandson Jensen chewing on his bib, Ms. Furer became concerned.
Her concern grew after the home test indicated that lead was present
on the surface of Jensen’s bib. She sent the lead-tainted bib
to CEH, which then began its own investigation. The Illinois Attorney
General today announced a statewide recall of the Wal-Mart bibs, based
on their own testing that found lead levels over the state’s legal
limit for lead in children’s products.
Like many vinyl products, the lead-contaminated bibs sold in Wal-Mart
are generally made overseas, often in China. "Who is accountable
for letting these contaminated products into our country?," said
Ms. Furer. "Where are the standards, the testing, and the enforcement
for keeping lead out of children's products?" Legislation introduced
by Congressmember Waxman and Senator Obama would set strict federal
standards for lead in any product marketed for children under age six
(see http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR00668 ), but the
bill has languished in Congress.
Independent lab tests commissioned by CEH in 2006 and 2007 found high
lead levels in four Wal-Mart bibs purchased in California. In December
2006, CEH informed Wal-Mart that the lead levels in their bibs violate
California law. The New York Attorney General’s office also tested
the bibs and found high lead levels, and today urged parents to consider
discarding the Wal-Mart bibs.
CEH recommends that parents avoid vinyl bibs and replace any vinyl
bibs with organic cotton bibs or bibs made from other safe materials.
"There is no reason that children should be exposed to lead from
their baby bibs," said Cox. "Parents need to know that vinyl
is a poison plastic that doesn’t belong near their kids."
CEH has a ten-year track record of protecting children from hidden
lead risks in consumer products, using legal action to eliminate lead
threats from vinyl lunchboxes, baby powders, children’s medicines,
imported candies, and metal and vinyl jewelry.
The CEH report, "An Unnecessary Poison: Babies, Bibs and Lead"
is online at http://www.cehca.org/babybibs.htm
UPDATE:
CPSC Follows Lead-Lunchbox Cover-up with Nonsense on Lead-Tainted Baby Bibs
Today, the Center for Environmental Health announced that independent laboratory tests found high levels of lead in newly purchased baby bibs made by Wal-Mart. The Attorneys General of Illinois and New York also tested the bibs and found similarly high lead levels. Both Illinois and New York took action to protect children from this lead risk, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has released a scientifically unsupported statement that may confuse parents about these risks, stating that the bibs are only a risk if they "are worn or have deteriorated." In fact, since infants and young children often chew and suck on their baby bibs, they are highly at risk of harmful lead exposures even from new bibs that repeated tests by three labs have found to have high lead levels.
In January, the Associated Press reported that after CEH exposed high levels of lead in vinyl children’s lunchboxes, CPSC covered up their own test results showing high lead levels in the lunchboxes, and then changed their test method to show artificially lower levels of lead [see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/18/AR2007021800528_pf.html ]. In that case, CPSC also rejected the findings from independent test results showing high lead levels, while refusing to make public their test data.
CEH is today demanding that CPSC retract its statement on lead baby bibs and calling on CPSC to follow the lead of the state of Illinois by ordering a nationwide recall. "If they refuse to accept the scientific findings of three laboratories, it will be clear that the Consumer Product Safety Commission cannot be trusted to protect children from lead poisoning," said Michael Green, Executive Director of CEH. "The public cannot have any confidence in an agency that repeatedly minimizes clear and present threats to our children’s health. Americans deserve protection from unsafe products, but CPSC seems more interested in protecting industry than our children."
This week, the Senate Commerce Committee is expected to hold a hearing on President Bush’s nomination of industry-lobbyist Michael Baroody for the top job at CPSC. CEH has called on the Senate to reject the nomination and urge the President to name a true champion of public health to turn around the troubled agency. For more information, see http://www.cehca.org/news.htm#Baroody.
The CPSC statement is at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07175.html
February 22, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Chris Kofinis, WakeUpWalMart.com (202) 486-6422
Charles Margulis, Center for Environmental Health (510) 697-0615
WAKEUPWALMART.COM CALLS ON WAL-MART TO LESSEN RISK POSED BY MERCURY & ADOPT A NATIONAL CFL RECYCLING PROGRAM LIKE IKEA
CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CALLS ON WAL-MART TO HELP PROTECT CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND ADOPT NATIONAL RECYCLING PROGRAM
Washington DC - Today, as Wal-Mart made another announcement regarding its plan to sell compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s), WakeUpWalMart.com and the Center for Environmental Health called on the company to “do the right thing” and adopt a national recycling program to help lessen the mercury threat posed by these bulbs.
In statements released today, both the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) and WakeUpWalMart.com cautioned that Wal-Mart needs to address the risks of mercury exposure from the disposal of CFLs, preferably by insuring that consumers can return used bulbs for recycling. If CFL’s are disposed of improperly, mercury exposure can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and developing fetus, with potential damage to vision, hearing, and memory. In addition, children are especially sensitive to mercury, and women exposed during pregnancy have greater risks of having children with developmental problems, including mental retardation, lack of coordination, and delays in learning to walk and talk.
As background, in January 2007, Wal-Mart announced it had set a goal of selling 100 million compact fluorescent bulbs this year. But, even after two months, Wal-Mart has refused to adopt a national recycling program to deal with the serious environmental threat posed by the mercury content contained in the CFL’s.
Without a national recycling program, Wal-Mart’s efforts to sell 100 million CFL’s could result in the spreading of an estimated 227,273 pounds of mercury into American households.
In addition, Wal-Mart has not publicly committed to selling only low mercury fluorescent light bulbs. In fact, the fluorescent light bulbs available for sale at Wal-Mart have a higher mercury content than similar fluorescent light bulbs available for sale at other retailers.
In contrast, IKEA, before launching its campaign to sell fluorescent bulbs, committed to both sell only low mercury light bulbs and to create a free recycling program that helps lessen the environmental risk.
A fact sheet on the serious environmental risks posed by Wal-Mart’s fluorescent light bulb initiative is available by contacting WakeUpWalMart.com.
The following statement is attributable to Chris Kofinis, communications director for WakeUpWalMart.com:
“Without question, all Americans support a cleaner environment and a higher level of energy efficiency. However, without a national recycling program, Wal-Mart’s push to sell 100 million fluorescent light bulbs could pose an incredible and needless health risk to our children and our communities.
As first exemplified by IKEA, Wal-Mart must stop delaying and immediately establish a free-of-charge recycling program. In addition, just like IKEA, we call on Wal-Mart to commit to only selling low mercury fluorescent light bulbs in order to help lessen the serious health risks to children and families posed by mercury exposure.
If Wal-Mart is truly serious about wanting to be a good steward of the environment, then Wal-Mart will see the light and publicly commit to a national recycling program that will ensure both our environment and the public health is protected from dangerous levels of mercury.”
The following statement is attributable to Michael Green, executive director of the Center for Environmental Health:
“We’re glad to see Wal-Mart taking an important step toward energy efficiency, but the company needs to put a little more than 18 seconds of thought into its program,” said Michael Green, Executive Director of CEH. “Without widely available recycling programs, disposal of these bulbs could mean more mercury near our homes, schools and playgrounds.”
March 2, 2007
CONTACT: Alexa Engelman, 510-594-9864 ex 310; Charles Margulis, 510-697-0615 (cell)
CEH Statement Opposing Michael Baroody for Chair of CPSC
Oakland, CA- The Center for Environmental Health (CEH), the nonprofit health protection organization whose work recently led to a national media expose of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s failure to protect children from lead poisoning in vinyl lunchboxes, is calling on the Senate to reject President Bush’s nomination of industry-lobbyist Michael Baroody for the top spot at CPSC.
“With the recent failures at CPSC, it is especially alarming that President Bush has nominated an industry crony for the nation’s top consumer protection post,” said Michael Green, Executive Director of CEH. “The President had a chance to appoint a real champion of public health, but instead he has picked a man who has spent his career opposing consumer interests and trying to weaken CPSC’s authority.”
Last month, the Associated Press reported on government documents showing that the Bush CPSC covered up lead risks to children from lead-contaminated lunchboxes, after CEH investigations found high lead levels in lunchboxes that could pose a health threat to children (see http://www.cehca.org/CPSCFOIAinformation.htm )
Baroody is currently Executive Vice President of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), a trade group that has long opposed product safety regulation and pollution prevention laws, and that according to consumer groups has called for weakening CPSC. During his tenure at NAM, Baroody has been at the forefront of opposition to laws that protect children and the public from unsafe products and toxic health threats, including:
• In 2000, when manufacturers covered up their knowledge of tire problems that led to the deaths or injuries of over 500 people in car accidents, NAM opposed legislation requiring manufacturers to provide the government with accident data that they previously withheld. Regarding NAM’s lobbying, the bill’s sponsor Senator John McCain said, “The fix is in from the special interests.”
• In 2001, Baroody decried a Supreme Court ruling that upheld EPA's authority to regulate toxic air emissions, a decision that upheld laws that save tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars in health costs by reducing air pollution;
• Baroody later welcomed new Bush Administration rules that relaxed pollution prevention laws for power plants;
• In 2003, NAM opposed protections from asbestos exposure and teamed with the asbestos industry to lobby Congress in opposition to proposed regulations;
• NAM is a leader in the polluter-backed junk science campaign to deny global warming; their official position states that science has “not confirmed evidence of global warming that can be attributed to human activities.”
CEH is calling on the public to urge their Senators to reject Baroody’s appointment. A sample letter to Senators will be posted on the CEH website at http://www.cehca.org/CPSC_ActionAlert.htm
Oakland, California-based CEH has a ten-year track record of protecting children from hidden lead risks in consumer products. In addition to vinyl lunchboxes, the organization’s legal action and advocacy has eliminated lead risks to infants and children in baby powders, children’s medicines, imported candies, and metal and vinyl jewelry.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 12, 2006
CONTACT: Alexa Engelman, 510-594-9864, Charles Margulis, 510-697-0615 (cell)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
This Holiday Season, Parents Still Need to Look Out for Lead
In the wake of a groundbreaking California legal settlement to end the threat of lead-tainted jewelry that was spearheaded by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced plans to develop federal rules on lead in jewelry. On Monday, the CPSC voted to start a regulatory rulemaking that would limit lead in children’s jewelry. However, according to the agency, its process will focus primarily on metal parts of jewelry, and could take years before safety rules are enacted.
This government action follows the strict California legal standards sponsored by CEH that calls for the elimination of lead in all components of kid’s jewelry. “Because of our work in California, a new standard has been set to protect kids from this dangerous lead exposure,” said CEH Executive Director Michael Green. “Federal bans of these products could take years, so we suggest parents stay on the look out for lead-tainted jewelry.” CEH advocates a regulatory approach that looks at all lead-containing components of children’s jewelry, including imitation pearls and vinyl cords, which have been found in CEH’s research to have high lead levels, and urges CPSC to adopt standards similar to California’s.
Lead jewelry recalls announced by CPSC have become increasingly commonplace. Just this month, the Commission announced a recall of 51,600 children's lead-containing necklaces sold across the country, and in March a four-year-old boy died after swallowing a lead-tainted charm. But the agency has lagged in developing rules that will hold producers and retailers to a lead-safe standard. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, after Monday’s vote a CPSC spokesperson stated that it could still be years before a federal rule will go into effect.
Since 2004, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has researched and tested hundreds of pieces of jewelry for lead. CEH took legal action against the retailers and manufacturers of these products, resulting in industry wide reformulations and binding agreements with close to 100 companies, including J.C. Penny, Target, Mervyns, Sears, Toys R Us, and Kmart. Children’s jewelry at these stores will fully be lead-safe in September 2007.
This week’s report from Sen. Barak Obama and Rep. Henry Waxman reveals that lead-laden jewelry and trinkets are sold at Capitol building gift stores, and the members are advancing their proposal to ban lead in children’s products. This week also brought mounting evidence about the widespread problem of lead contamination in children’s costume jewelry from an upcoming published study of lead in metal jewelry.
CEH continues to test children’s jewelry and advocate for the adoption of strict standards for children’s health. “It’s our hope that the CPSC will take a protective and comprehensive approach to regulating lead in these common children’s products” added Michael Green, “These harmful products have been found in the seat of our government, and it’s due time for strict standards to reach the federal level.”
Photos of tainted jewelry and other information at http://www.cehca.org/jewelry.htm
CPSC statement at http://www.cpsc.gov/PR/NordLeadToyJewelry.pdf
Study on lead in children’s jewelry, Ashland University: http://personal.ashland.edu/~jweiden/LeadContamination.WeidenhamerClement.pdf
Report on lead jewelry found in the Capitol’s gift shops:
http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1145
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Report Released:"Toxic Sweatshops: How UNICOR Prison Recycling Harms Workers, Communities, the Environment, and the Recycling Industry"
CEH-co-authored report investigates and exposes the health and safety hazards of electronic recycling prison work program
View the official press release
View the full report
October 18, 2006: This report examines the e-waste recycling programs run by Federal Prison Industries (FPI), a government-owned corporation that does business under the trade name UNICOR. Since 1994, UNICOR has built a lucrative business that employs prisoners to recycle electronic waste (e-waste). E-waste is a double-edged sword: it is rich in precious materials that can be recycled, but it also contains a cocktail of hazardous chemicals such as lead, mercury, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and cadmium. Some types of discarded electronics are considered hazardous waste by the EPA and other regulatory agencies, researchers, industries, and advocates across the globe.
In the past few years, the storm of complaints about UNICOR’s recycling program from prisoners, prison guards, and others has brought these hidden sweatshops into public view. UNICOR’s captive laborers work in conditions similar to those in sweatshops across the world. Prisoners have few of the labor rights and protections other U.S. workers enjoy. Prisoners are excluded from the Fair Labor Standards Act and insufficiently protected by regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which cannot conduct surprise inspections.
Despite media coverage of problems with UNICOR Recycling, prisoners and impacted communities continue to face major barriers in pursuing their rights to be free of exposure to toxics. By publishing this report, the Center for Environmental Health, Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, Prison Activist Resource Center, and the Computer TakeBack Campaign aim to uncover and stop the environmental health abuse and exploitation of workers in prisons; expose UNICOR as an unacceptable choice for electronics recycling; and educate institutions, corporations, and individuals seeking responsible electronics recycling options that promote high labor, environmental, and human rights standards.
This report’s principal findings are outlined below:
UNICOR has failed to adequately protect prisoners and staff from exposure to toxics.
When dismantling electronics, prisoners handling toxic components need ventilation, proper tools, and adequate protective gear, as do prison staff working in the area. UNICOR facilities repeatedly failed to provide proper recycling procedures to captive laborers and staff supervisors. The adverse health effects of long-term exposure to the toxic materials in e-waste are costs that families and/or public health services will bear— not UNICOR.
UNICOR has failed to protect communities from hazardous materials.
Poor workplace safety practices affect communities as well. Leroy Smith, a prison health and safety manager, has expressed concerns about prison guards who go home to their families with dust on their clothes. Smith’sattorney Mary Dryovage and Jeff Ruch, director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, have noted that Smith’s claims “were not fully investigated,” including charges that UNICOR disposed of “hazardous metals” and “contaminated mopheads...at county landfills” and that “mop water would be disposed down sewage drains, which would be released into the city waste water treatment plant.”
UNICOR undercuts responsible recycling businesses.
Not all electronics recyclers are the same. Much of what passes as “electronics recycling” is exporting harm — dumping ewaste on poor communities in China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and other countries. However,a growing segment of the U.S. electronics recycling industry is taking
concrete steps to educate and to protect workers, communities, and the environment. These recyclers are being undermined by UNICOR’s government sweatshop model. UNICOR’s low wages, limited worker protections, and use of outdated equipment allow UNICOR to underbid conscientious commercial recycling operations.
This Back to School Season, Lead is Still on the Lunch Menu for Some Children
More lead-tainted lunchboxes found in recent lab tests
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
September 5, 2006
CONTACT: Alexa Engelman, 510-594-9864 x 310; Charles Margulis, 510-697-0615 (cell)
California watchdog group takes legal action against six more producers and retailers of lead-tainted lunchboxes
Oakland, CA -- Recent independent laboratory testing commissioned by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has shown that some lead-tainted lunchboxes are still being sold in national chain stores. In testing this summer, the Center found several vinyl lunchboxes purchased at major retailers including Rite Aid, Staples, and Big Lots with elevated levels of lead. One lunchbox tested contained lead levels 24 times the legal limit for lead in paint. The testing found lead in the lining of lunch boxes, where it comes into direct contact with food.
A year ago, CEH brought national attention to the potential lead-poisoning hazard from vinyl children’s lunchboxes and took legal action to stop the sale of the lead-tainted children’s product. CEH has settled lawsuits against a number of companies, two of which – InGear and Fashion Accessory Bazaar – are already offering reformulated products for this season. But over a dozen other companies have yet to take action. Just last week, the non-profit watchdog group filed legal notices against six more companies for producing or selling lead-tainted lunchboxes.
"We are pleased that two leading lunchbox makers took this issue seriously and are making safer products for children in time for this back to school season," said Michael Green, Executive Director of CEH. "Their action shows that children’s lunchboxes can be made without lead hazards. So it is hard to understand why so many other producers and retailers are dragging their feet and still selling our children this needlessly risky product."
Earlier this summer, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), spurred by the CEH action, sent a notice to makers and suppliers of children’s lunchboxes, calling for an end to marketing of such lead-tainted products. In their letter, FDA noted that "The adverse health effects of elevated lead levels in children are well-documented and may have long-lasting or permanent consequences. Because lead accumulates in the body, these effects can occur even at low exposure levels, and may include delayed mental and physical development, and learning deficiencies." The agency stated that since "migration of lead to food" kept in children’s vinyl lunchboxes could "reasonably be expected," FDA urged producers "to refrain from marketing such lead-containing lunchboxes."
While the recent testing shows that many retailers are still selling lead-tainted vinyl lunchboxes, some retailers have reportedly taken action. In early August, Wal-Mart announced it would stop selling all vinyl-lined lunchboxes, according to news reports. "It’s our hope that other retailers will follow suit, so parents can be sure that their children are safe from lead poisoning this season," said Green.
Last week, CEH sent legal notices of violation of California’s Proposition 65 (prop 65) law to lunchbox retailers Rite-Aid, Staples, and 99 Cents Only Stores, and to lunchbox producers Cool Gear International, Haddad Accessories, and Global Design Concepts. Prop 65 requires warning labels on products that contain lead or other chemicals that can cause cancer or reproductive harm.
Because some lunchboxes still contain lead, the Center for Environmental Health recommends that parents should be cautious when purchasing a child’s lunchbox. Because the lead is found in vinyl, parents can avoid lead by buying vinyl-free lunchboxes. Parents can also use an inexpensive test kit to check lunch boxes for lead.
For alternatives to vinyl lunchboxes and other information, see http://www.cehca.org/lunchboxes.htm
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July 21, 2006
CONTACT: Charles Margulis, 510-697-0615 (cell); Michael Green or Alexa Engelman, 510-594-9864; 510-378-7333 (Michael Green cell)
FDA URGES PRODUCERS TO STOP MAKING LEAD-TAINTED VINYL LUNCHBOXES
Agency warns manufacturers that vinyl lunchboxes may leach lead into food,
posing health risks to children
Oakland, CA – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) notified makers of soft vinyl (PVC) lunchboxes yesterday that they should stop marketing vinyl lunchboxes that may leach lead into foods. FDA’s letter to manufacturers states that any lead on the surface of a lunchbox lining can be expected to contaminate food and would therefore be a prohibited food additive. Last year, the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) brought national attention to the issue of lead-tainted children’s lunchboxes when the nonprofit sued makers and retailers of vinyl lunchboxes for violating California law.
FDA’s notice is the first federal action to stop the sale of lead-tainted lunchboxes. “We applaud FDA for taking this decisive action to protect children’s health,” said Michael Green, Executive Director of CEH. “It is past time for strong government action to insure our kids are safe from lead at lunchtime.” An email from FDA Consumer Safety Officer Kenneth McAdams to CEH investigative staff stated, “[T]hank you and CEH again for your work on this that first alerted us to the issue, and the help you provided us.”
FDA’s letter to lunchbox makers states that the agency’s position is based on lunchbox testing performed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). But CPSC has refused to take action to prevent lead poisoning risks from lunchboxes, and stated after conducting “preliminary” tests that lead from lunchboxes would not pose health risks. In contrast, FDA’s notice clearly warns lunchbox makers of lead-poisoning risks, stating that since
…some migration of lead [from lunchbox interiors] to food…may be reasonably expected, we urge companies to refrain from marketing such lead-containing lunchboxes....it has been a longstanding objective of the FDA to reduce, to the extent possible, consumer exposure to lead from foods. The adverse health effects of elevated lead levels in children are well-documented and may have long-lasting or permanent consequences.
Recently, many lunchboxes found in stores by CEH include labels suggesting that the products are “lead safe,” or “lead free.” But there is often no explanation of what testing companies did to determine the amount or availability of lead from the lunchbox. For example, CEH purchased Thermos-brand lunchboxes at Target labeled “Tested Lead Safe.” When CEH called Thermos for information, a company representative could not describe the testing method, and instead referred CEH to a June 1 company press release stating that CPSC has found that lead in lunchboxes “would not present a health hazard to children.” Another lunchbox purchased at Wal-Mart is labeled as “Tested Lead Safe,” and contains a tag stating that “Representative samples of this product have been tested for lead according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission…and found to comply with their guidelines.”
In response, CEH has issued a renewed caution: “Parents should take notice that a “lead safe” label on a lunchbox may not provide adequate assurance, if companies are using CPSC’s outdated standard,” said Green. “We urge retailers to be vigilant in informing suppliers that lunchboxes are not safe if they contain any lead that can contaminate food.”
A CEH investigation begun in 2005 has found lead in dozens of children’s lunchboxes bought at major retailers, including Target, WalMart, JC Penny’s, Toys “R” Us and Walgreens. But the retailers were slow to respond, and CEH’s announcement of lead in lunchboxes prompted hundreds of parents from across the country to mail lead-positive lunchboxes purchased at these and other stores to CEH headquarters in Oakland, California. Lunchboxes featuring Superman, Tweety Bird, Powerpuff Girls, and other familiar characters were found with high lead levels.
For more information about CEH’s investigation, including photos of lunchboxes and of “lead safe” notices on lunchboxes, see www.cehca.org/lunchboxes.htm
- Landmark Settlement Protects Children from Lead-Candy Risks
Mars and Hershey Among Candy Makers Agreeing to Strong Protections for Children’s Health
June 29, 2006
San Francisco, CA – In a landmark agreement signed today, major candy makers including subsidiaries of Mars and Hersheys have for the first time agreed to strict standards for protecting children from lead exposures in candies imported from Mexico. Government officials and health advocates have long known of the lead-poisoning risks to children from some imported candies, but today’s settlement of a lawsuit brought nearly two years ago by the Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), the California Attorney General, the Los Angeles City Attorney and the Alameda County District Attorney is the first binding agreement that forces the industry to test their products to insure that candy does not pose a health risk to children.
“Today’s agreement is a great victory for children’s health,” said Michael Green, Executive Director of CEH. “Parents deserve to know that the candy that their children eat is safe, and children deserve to be protected from lead.”
The lawsuits on lead in candy were filed in July 2004 against over thirty candy makers under California’s Proposition 65 law, which requires warnings on products that can expose the public to cancer-causing substances or reproductive toxins. Among the companies signing the settlement today are some of the world’s largest candy makers and the three leading sellers of popular spicy candies from Mexico. The three are Effem Mexico, a subsidiary of the U.S.-based Mars candy company; Grupo Lorena, owned by U.S.-based Hersheys; and the Mexican-based Dulces Vero company.
The candy makers agreed to reducing lead in their products to less than 100 parts per billion of lead. The companies also agreed to contribute to a fund that will be used for outreach on reducing lead risks to California communities that could be most at-risk from lead candy exposures, a fund to assist smaller companies in complying with the agreement, and a fund to provide lead testing equipment used for candy testing. The companies will also pay penalties and attorney fees totaling $954,000, including $100,000 civil penalties and $379,000 in payments in lieu of penalties, and the remainder in investigative costs and attorneys fees.
Based in California and in Mexico, EHC has long been leading the fight to eliminate lead risks from imported candies. Last fall, a bill (AB 121) sponsored by EHC that would make it illegal to sell lead-tainted candy in California was signed into law by the governor. Standards for lead levels under that law are to be released in
July, and the groups involved in today’s settlement believe that their agreement will form the basis for the state’s standards and help fund implementation of the law.
EHC’s Leticia Ayala directs the organization’s lead campaign and said, “These two victories go hand-in-hand. AB121 created the law, but the settlement signals the willingness of the candy manufacturers to start making the necessary changes and provides funds to implement the law. The settlement is historic because it provides for funds to assist smaller Mexican candy companies to come into compliance to prevent children from consuming contaminated candies anywhere in the U.S. or Mexico.”
Along with today’s victory, CEH’s longstanding work to protect children’s health has resulted in elimination of health risks from toxic metals such as arsenic in children’s playground equipment, lead in lunchboxes, lead in jewelry, and lead in baby powder products. For more information on CEH’s work with lead in candy and other consumer products, visit www.cehca.org.
- LEADING MANUFACTURER TO ELIMINATE LEAD RISKS FROM CHILDREN’S LUNCHBOXES
February 15, 2006
Oakland, CA -- Children’s lunchbox manufacturer InGEAR, the country’s third-leading producer of lunchboxes and coolers, has reached an agreement with the Center for Environmental Health to eliminate lead risks to children from their products in time for this summer’s back-to-school shopping season. The settlement with InGEAR was signed today in San Francisco Superior Court by Judge Ronald Quidachay.
InGEAR, the first company to settle the lawsuits CEH initiated last year against children’s lunchbox makers and retailers, has agreed to set a strict standard for reducing lead in all of its vinyl lunchboxes and coolers. The company also agreed to eliminate its use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC, or “vinyl”) plastic in the interior of lunchboxes, as PVC often contains high lead levels.
“We applaud InGEAR for taking this swift action to protect children’s health,” said Michael Green, Executive Director of CEH. “Parents shouldn’t have to worry that lead might be lurking in their children’s lunch. We urge other manufacturers and retailers to meet the same safety standards quickly, so all children’s lunchboxes can be free of lead risks by this summer’s shopping season.”
Buffalo Grove, Illinois-based InGEAR has agreed to reduce lead levels in its products to below 200 parts per million (ppm) within 90 days of the settlement. In lab testing, one InGEAR product previously tested at over 5,700 ppm of lead. In its ongoing investigation, lab tests commissioned by CEH have found thirty lunchboxes and coolers made by other manufacturers that contain two to ninety times the federal standard of 600 ppm for lead in paint on toys. Lead is a potent neurotoxin that can cause reduced IQ and behavioral problems in children even with low levels of exposure.
In addition to the 200 ppm lead threshold, InGEAR has agreed to phase out the use of PVC entirely in the interior of its lunchboxes within six months and to be PVC-free within two years. PVC is considered the dirtiest of all plastics because it is often made with lead and other harmful additives and can release cancer-causing chemicals when it is produced and incinerated. “One simple way that lunchbox manufacturers can eliminate lead is to stop using vinyl and switch to safer materials that are currently available,” said Green. In addition to other lunchbox manufacturers Igloo, Fast Forward LLC, and Accessory Network Group, CEH has sued retailers including Toys R Us, Walgreens, Ross Stores and others for selling lead-tainted lunchboxes.
Following the CEH lawsuits, the Attorney General of New York last fall announced statewide recalls of lead-tainted lunchboxes made by Fast Forward. The Washington State Department of Ecology and the Connecticut Attorney General have also issued warnings that they will take action to pull lead-lunchboxes from stores in their states.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is currently negotiating with a number of lunchbox manufacturers after lead in excess of limits set in Illinois’ Environmental Protection Act was identified in lunchboxes sold in Illinois; a number of Illinois retailers have pulled suspect lunchboxes off store shelves at Madigan’s request.
With their lunchbox action, InGEAR joins a growing list of businesses, including Microsoft, Crabtree & Evelyn, and Johnson & Johnson that are reducing or eliminating the use of PVC. For more information on companies phasing out PVC, see http://besafenet.com/pvc/companies.htm
InGEAR, which sells more than a quarter million lunchboxes and coolers annually, is the third largest manufacturer in the industry and supplies major retailers including Kmart, WalMart, Sears and JC Penney. CEH first sued lunchbox makers and retailers in August 2005 under California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxics Enforcement Act, known as “Proposition 65”.
More information about CEH’s investigation can be found at www.cehca.org/lunchboxes.htm # # #
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Major Retailers Agree to Eliminate Lead Risks from Children’s
Jewelry
January 27, 2006
Seventy-One Companies Join Precedent-Setting Agreement to
Protect Children’s Health
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced today that
major retailers of children’s jewelry, including Target,
Kmart, Macy’s, Nordstroms, Claires, Mervyns, Sears, Toys
R Us, Disney and dozens of other companies have agreed to eliminate
lead exposure risks from jewelry marketed to children and adults.
The legal settlement calls for the companies to take swift action
to end sales of lead-containing jewelry in California by reformulating
their products. The landmark agreement with seventy-one companies
creates the first legally binding standards for lead in jewelry
in the nation.
CEH initiated legal action against the jewelry companies in late
2003 and, with the California Attorney General, sued the companies
in June 2004. In the past few years, there have been numerous cases
of children suffering from serious lead poisoning due to jewelry
exposures, prompting health warnings and national jewelry recalls.
While seventy-one of the companies named in the lawsuits signed
the settlement filed in Alameda County Superior Court today, Wal-Mart,
the nation’s largest retailer, and four other companies have
not agreed to reformulate the jewelry they sell.
"We applaud the companies who joined this settlement for
taking a hard look at this problem and agreeing to get the lead
out of children’s jewelry," said Michael Green, Executive
Director of CEH. "We are hopeful that Wal-Mart and the other
companies will soon join these industry leaders in protecting children
from unnecessary lead risks." In addition to Wal-Mart, Jordache,
Cornerstone Apparel (Papaya stores), the Gerson Company, and Royal
Items have not joined the settlement.
While today’s settlement is legally binding only in California,
CEH expects that most if not all the companies will act to protect
children nationally from lead jewelry risks. "California is
a major market, and it will likely be impractical for companies
to have one line of jewelry for the state and another for the rest
of the country," said Green. "Nonetheless, we will continue
to monitor the issue nationally and we call on each of the settling
companies to make a public commitment to implement these lead reduction
standards on a national basis." CEH will post names of companies
that make a national commitment, and those that have not, on its
web site at www.cehca.org
The settlement negotiated over the past eighteen months sets strict
standards for lead levels in all jewelry components, and requires
that lead levels in children’s jewelry be reduced to trace
amounts. Under the settlement terms, metal components in and coatings
on children’s jewelry must contain less than 600 parts per
million (ppm) of lead, while plastic (PVC) components can contain
no more than 200 ppm. In lab testing commissioned by CEH, lead
levels in PVC cords on costume jewelry ranged from 1400 to 20,000
ppm, and lead levels in a coating on one child’s bracelet
tested at over 165,000 ppm. In tests conducted by the U.S. Consumer
Product Safety Commission and others, metal components often tested
at over 500,000 ppm, and as high as 950,000, or 95% lead.
The settlement requires jewelry retailers to inform their suppliers
of the reformulation requirements of the settlement within 90 days
after it is entered by the court. Once they are informed, suppliers
are required to eliminate or significantly reduce lead in jewelry
as soon as possible. Each of the companies settling also agreed
to pay $25,000, for an aggregate settlement of $1.875 million.
The settlement will be used to establish a fund for testing jewelry
for compliance in the future, to fund public education efforts
on exposures to toxics in metals, and for penalties and reimbursement
of legal costs.
More information, including a list of the companies involved in
today’s settlement and a list of jewelry brand names, can
be found at www.cehca.org
# # #
- New York Company Recalls Lead-Tainted Lunchboxes
November 29, 2005
Lunch Box Maker to Pull Hazardous Products from New York Stores
Children’s lunchbox distributor Fast Forward LLC, one of
the companies that the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) took
legal action against this summer for their lead-tainted lunchboxes,
has reached an agreement with the NY Attorney General to recall
twenty-two styles of children’s lunchboxes from stores in
New York State. In addition, WalMart will voluntarily pull the
Fast Forward lunchboxes from their stores nationwide. Fast Forward
lunchboxes that tested for high lead levels in independent tests
commissioned by CEH included products featuring well-known children’s
characters such as Superman, Tweety Bird, and Powerpuff Girls.
After independent testing commissioned by CEH showed high lead
levels in vinyl lunchboxes that pose a potential health hazard
to children, the CEH legal action against lunchbox makers brought
national attention to the problem and prompted health officials
across the country to conduct their own investigations.
“This is a welcome first step in our drive to protect children
from lead in lunchboxes,” said Michael Green, Executive Director
of CEH. “The companies involved in making and selling children’s
lunchboxes must now come together to insure that all children
are protected. We will continue to pursue our legal action to
forge
an industry-wide standard for safer lunchboxes.”
The Fast Forward recall puts pressure on other lunchbox makers
to follow-suit. CEH testing found levels of lead in lunchboxes
made by other companies that were as high or higher than the
Fast Forward products. For example, an Angela Anaconda lunchbox produced
by Anaheim-based Targus International tested at 56,400 parts
per
million of lead, more than 90 times the 600 ppm legal limit
for lead in paint in children’s products. This and other lead-tainted
lunchboxes may still be available in New York and nationally.
While the nationwide recall of Fast Forward lunchboxes by WalMart
is welcome, CEH is suing several other retailers for selling
lead-tainted lunchboxes, including Toys “R” Us, Walgreens,
Big Lots, and Ross Stores. Lead-tainted Fast Forward lunchboxes,
which CEH
purchased from several Bay Area retailers this fall, may still
be sold in stores outside of New York.
CEH is suing eight lunchbox makers and retailers and has notified
another twenty-four lunchbox companies of its intent to sue under
California law, which affords legal protection from lead or other
chemicals in children’s products. But although CEH and other
groups have long urged stronger national laws on lead in vinyl
children’s products, the federal government still has no
legal standard for many uses of vinyl. Despite the federal inaction
on the lunchbox threat, other health officials in several states
have contacted CEH and are investigating the problem.
Since CEH filed lawsuits against lunchbox makers and retailers
in August, dozens of parents from all across the country have
mailed their children’s lunchboxes to the CEH office in Oakland,
and over a thousand parents have called or emailed CEH with questions
or concerns about their children’s lunchboxes. Information
and testing prompted by talks with parents is helping CEH in
its ongoing investigation and legal work.
“New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has taken an important
step to protect children from lead, and parents all across the
country helped make this victory happen,” said Green. “We
urge parents who have lunchboxes from other companies to contact
us and help us insure that children are protected from lead threats
in any lunchbox brand.”
For more information, see http://www.cehca.org/lunchboxes.htm.
In the New York area, the Attorney general’s office lunchbox
information line is 800-771-7755. Fast Forward is a New York
City-based company and can be reached at 877-244-4433.
- A Back to School Warning: Children’s
Vinyl Lunch Boxes Can Contain Dangerous Levels of Lead
August 31, 2005
Oakland, CA – The Center for Environmental Health (CEH)
announced it is filing lawsuits today against makers and retailers
of soft vinyl lunch boxes that can expose children to harmful levels
of lead. The Center has also notified several other companies of
violations under California’s toxics law Proposition 65 (Prop
65) for lunch boxes with high lead levels. The lawsuits and violation
notices against companies including Toys “R” Us, Warner
Brothers, DC Comics, Time Warner, Walgreens, and others involve
many lunch boxes featuring beloved children’s characters
including Superman, Tweety Bird, Powerpuff Girls, and Hamtaro.
The level of lead in one lunch box, an Angela Anaconda box made
by Targus International, tested at 56,400 parts per million (ppm)
of lead, more than 90 times the 600 ppm legal limit for lead in
paint in children’s products.
“ Lead exposure should not be on the lunch menu when kids’ go
back to school this fall,” said Michael Green, CEH Executive
Director. “There is no reason to expose children to any
lead from lunch boxes. We are calling on these companies to
recall these
products and take action to eliminate lead from their products
in the future.”
Initial independent laboratory testing commissioned by CEH has
already found seventeen lunch boxes with high lead levels,
and the group’s investigation is ongoing. In addition to the
testing on the Angela Anaconda lunch box, tests on other lunch
boxes showed levels of lead between two and twenty-five times the
legal limit for lead paint in children’s products. In
most cases, the highest lead levels were found in the lining
of lunch
boxes, where lead could come into direct contact with food.
Lead is known to be harmful to children even in minute amounts,
as
it can impair brain development and cause other behavioral
and developmental
problems. Children may be exposed to lead from lunch boxes
when they eat food that has been stored in them. Handling the
lunchboxes
just before eating could also be an exposure risk.
It is not possible
to tell by appearance whether a vinyl lunch box may contain
lead, so CEH is advising parents to avoid vinyl
lunch boxes altogether. “Parents may need to seek out alternatives,
since many mass produced lunch boxes are vinyl or vinyl-lined,” said
Green. “A reusable cloth bag would be a good alternative.” Parents
can find information on how to test for lead in their children’s
lunch boxes at home at www.cehca.org/lunchboxes.
The CEH lawsuits
were filed today against lunch box producers Igloo and InGear,
and against retailers Toys “R” Us,
Walgreens, Big Lots, and Ross Stores. Earlier this year, CEH sent
notices of Prop 65 violations to Targus International, DC Comics,
Time Warner, Warner Brothers, Binney & Smith (a division
of Hallmark and the makers of Crayola-brand lunch boxes), Fast
Forward
LLC, and Holiday Fair Incorporated. Under Prop 65, companies
have sixty days to respond to violation notices, after which
lawsuits
can be filed. CEH expects to file more notifications of lunch
boxes that violate Prop 65 in the near future.
Photos of the lunch
boxes can be found at www.cehca.org/lunchboxes.
# # #
-
Disney Children’s Jewelry Found Tainted with Lead
April 12, 2005
Oakland, CA – A Disney-brand children’s bracelet and
children’s jewelry purchased at Disneyland have tested positive
for alarmingly high levels of lead in independent testing commissioned
by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH). A glossy coating
on the Disney bracelet contained 166,000 parts per million of lead,
a level that is more than 275 times the legal limit for lead in
paint. The necklace purchased at Disneyland that contains high
lead levels is misleadingly labeled “lead-free.”
Read more
-
Major Health Care Buyer Offers Hospitals a New Tool for Environmentally-Friendly
Electronics Purchasing and Management
February 21, 2005
Oakland, CA – Premier Inc., one of the nation’s largest
health care suppliers, today launched a comprehensive Web-based
resource to assist healthcare organizations in environmentally
responsible
purchasing and management of computers and electronics. The Center
for Environmental Health, a leader in the national Health Care
Without Harm coalition and the Computer TakeBack Campaign assisted
and supported
the development of the new Premier web site.
“Premier’s actions are a clear sign to vendors that
hospitals are demanding safer products and better disposal options,” said
CEH Program Manager Mamta Khanna. “With the market shifting
toward environmental responsibility, vendors who have the safest,
most environmentally friendly products will have a strong competitive
advantage."
San Diego-based Premier provides supply chain improvement and
group purchasing, and is owned by 200 of the nation’s leading
hospital and health care systems that are affiliated with approximately
1,500 hospital facilities and other health care sites in 50 states.
Premier’s new Computers and Electronics in HealthCare web
site presents specific purchasing strategies, including contractual
guidelines for minimal toxicity of materials and vendor programs
for "take-back," leasing and upgrades.
The healthcare industry is responsible for the consumption and
disposal of millions of electronic devices every year. Computers,
televisions, lab analyzers, EKG monitors and other types of equipment
used in hospitals every day contain many hazardous constituents
- from lead in cathode ray tube (CRT) monitors to chlorinated plastics
in cable wiring, brominated flame retardants in circuit boards
and mercury in LCD displays. Hazardous substances in electronics
have been linked to human health effects like cancer, birth defects,
and hormone disruption. When electronic products are incinerated
or landfilled, they can release heavy metals and other hazardous
substances, contaminating groundwater and polluting the air. There
are also concerns around the export of e-waste to developing countries
that are less equipped to handle the hazardous materials.
The challenge for healthcare organizations is to investigate the
materials used in electronics they purchase and stay conscious
of the environmental and health threats posed by toxic components
of e-waste when they must dispose of outdated or used devices. “Premier
recognizes the potential negative impact that computers and electronics
have on the environment and public health,” said James Fosmoe,
Director of Premier Group Purchasing’s Information Technology
Services. Fosmoe noted, “Premier will be using these guidelines
for the selection of hardware manufacturers that provide computers
and electronics to our members.”
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 9, 2004
Lawsuit Wins Protection for Children
from Lead Risks in Garden Hoses
San Francisco – A California court signed a final settlement
late last week in cases brought by the Center for Environmental
Health (CEH) against makers of garden hoses. Under California’s
toxics law Proposition 65, CEH sued the producers for hoses
that leach lead into water, a potential hazard especially for
children
who drink from hoses or play in hose spray. Lead can cause
brain damage and irreversible developmental problems in children.
The companies that settled include the country’s largest
producer and distributor of garden hoses, the Ridgefield N.J.-based
Tekni-Plex company, maker of Colorite Waterworks brand hoses.
Other companies in the settlement are Teknor Apex of Pawtucket,
Rhode
Island and Flexon Industries of Newark, NJ. CEH cases against
other companies, including Sears, Kmart and Martha Stewart, are
ongoing.
“In these hot summer days, it’s nice to know that
kids will be able to drink from hoses safely,” said CEH Executive
Director Michael Green. “Our yards shouldn’t be danger
zones where children are poisoned while they’re cooling
off in the sprinkler.”
Lead leaching into hose water can come from the vinyl (PVC) material
used to make hose or from brass nozzles on hoses. In producing
PVC, lead is often added as a stabilizer. In sunshine, lead in
hose water is a particular concern, as heat can cause hoses to
leach even higher levels of lead.
In the settlement signed Friday by San Francisco Superior Court
Judge Ronald Quidachay, the companies agreed to reformulate their
products to reduce lead exposures below California’s Prop
65 standard by 2007. In addition, warning labels on any hoses that
could cause exposures above the standard would carry a prominent
warning label reading, “Do not drink water from this hose.
Wash hands after use.”
CEH filed legal notices to the hose makers last fall, after a
July 2003 Consumer Reports story, "Dare you Drink From Your
Garden Hose” exposed the problem with lead from garden
hoses. The organization is represented in these cases by the
Lexington
Law Group, LLP, a San Francisco firm specializing in environmental
and consumer public interest litigation.
California’s Proposition 65 toxics law and its Unfair Competition
Law allow for citizen enforcement when consumer products contain
illegal levels of toxic chemicals. In previous public interest
cases, CEH has used these California laws to change entire industries,
including pressuring the wood playground equipment industry to
stop using arsenic-treated wood, and eliminating health risks from
lead in major brands of baby powder and children’s medicines.
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 21, 2004
CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH FILES LEGAL NOTICE AGAINST
MEXICAN CANDY MANUFACTURERS FOR CANDY CONTAINING LEAD
The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has filed a
60- Day Notice to the California Attorney General’s
office of intent to sue the manufacturers, distributors,
and retailers
of Mexican
candy for
exposing children to dangerous amounts of lead in
their products. Many types of Mexican candy and their wrappers
have been
shown to contain high amounts of lead in numerous tests
conducted by
the California
Department of Health Services, the Food and Drug
Administration,
and an independent lab hired by the Orange County
Register. However, little has been done by regulating bodies
to eliminate
this health
threat from our communities. This health threat disproportionately
affects Mexican citizens and Latino communities in
California. CEH hopes their actions will add to efforts
by the Environmental
Health
Coalition (EHC) in San Diego to force the makers
of this contaminated candy to clean up their act so that
children
in California and
in Mexico can safely eat their candy.
Read more
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 22,
2004
GROUPS PLAN CALIFORNIA LAWSUIT AGAINST FARMED SALMON OVER PCB
LEVELS
OAKLAND, CA The Center for Environmental Health (CEH)
and Environmental
Working Group (EWG) have filed legal notice under
California's main toxics law, Proposition 65, of plans to sue
many manufacturers, distributors and retailers of farmed salmon
over
potentially dangerous levels of cancer-causing PCBs (polychlorninated
biphenyls) in the fish.
Read more
Click here to
read the article in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Multi-media
News Articles
- ABC News Article - Lead in Lunchboxes (September 2006)
ABC News discusses controversial school lunchboxes that have been found to contain levels of lead and actions taken to prevent it.
- May 23, 2001: Poisoned playgrounds: report cites danger of arsenic in wood; advocates plan lawsuit to require warnings. details
- March 1, 2000: Children's Kaopectate and similar medicines
expose kids and adults to high levels of lead: suit filed today
to stop toxic exposures. details
- June 9, 2003: City of San Francisco becomes the
first city in the nation to adopt the Precautionary Principle. details
- March 2000: CEH exposes infant exposure to lead in medicated
baby powder. (Emagazine.com) article
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