CPSC Announces $50,000 Settlement with Retail Importer for Toy Lead Paint Violation

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced that Jo-Ann Stores Inc. of Hudson, Ohio has agreed to pay a $50,000 civil penalty to settle allegations of importing and selling children’s products that violated the federal lead paint ban.

Alleged that Jo-Ann Knowingly Imported/Sold Non-Compliant Products

The civil penalty is part of a settlement agreement which has been provisionally accepted by CPSC and which resolves allegations that Jo-Ann Stores knowingly imported and sold Robbie Ducky™ children’s products that contained lead paint in excess of the regulatory limit from January through November 2007.

(At the time of the violations, the federal limit on lead in paint was 600 ppm (0.06%). As a result of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the regulatory limit on lead in paint and surface coatings was reduced in August 2009 from 600 ppm (0.06%) to 90 ppm (0.009%).)

Non-Compliant Products Later Recalled

The following Robbie Ducky™ children’s products allegedly violated the federal lead paint ban and were later recalled by Jo-Ann Stores:

• Robbie Ducky™ children’s watering cans -- 6,000 recalled on August 28, 2007
• Robbie Ducky™ children’s toy rakes -- 16,000 recalled on September 26, 2007 (An additional 97,000 recalled on October 25, 2007)
• Robbie Ducky™ holiday water globes -- 60 recalled on December 13, 2007

(In agreeing to the settlement, Jo-Ann Stores denies CPSC's allegations that it violated federal law.)

CPSC press release (dated 04/28/10) available at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10207.html

Settlement agreement available at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10207.pdf