Local resale business owners were surprised to learn about new federal regulations on lead-tainted products. Strict regulations are difficult and costly to enforce, according to Alison Pa, program co-director of the Ho’omana Thrift Store in Wailua. Ho’omana is a nonprofit
Local resale business owners were surprised to learn about new federal regulations on lead-tainted products.
Strict regulations are difficult and costly to enforce, according to Alison Pa, program co-director of the Ho’omana Thrift Store in Wailua. Ho’omana is a nonprofit local business with three employees and a small volunteer work force.
Pa estimates 55 to 65 percent of their donations are products that are exposed to children.
The legislation enacted last month by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is aimed at reducing children’s exposure to lead and phthalates that are commonly found in consumer items. While few citizens argued about the intended purpose of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, there was debate as to its plausibility and effectiveness.
“After the product recall on many Thomas the Train products in 2005, we went through the store and pulled all of these items,” Pa said.
She and her crew also held a board meeting after a CNN program about recalled car seats.
“We set a policy not to receive or resell infant and toddler car seats because it was too difficult to know if they were safe,” she said.
While these items were on the national news, other products impacted by the legislation may be less easy to recognize. Continually scanning recall lists, testing products and keeping up to date on these issues is a daunting task for small businesses.
“There needs to be more regulation on pre-production,” said Rita Truslow, a Kapa’a resident and mother of four children. “It will save time and money if more testing and research is done before these products are introduced. This is a big thing and we should be worried about it — our environment is being ruined and everyone is being punished.”
It is now against the law to sell any hazardous product — whether on the recall list or not. As of Feb. 10, any product intended for children ages 12 or younger is considered hazardous if it exceeds the new lead limits — even if the product is not new.
This affects the sales of used books, toys, clothes and certain electronics. Also included are toys containing phthalates — a group of chemicals used to make vinyl and other plastics flexible.
The act states that resellers are not required to test articles but can be held accountable for the sale of any tainted item.
Mitham Clement, Corps Officer of the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Lihu‘e, has not yet noticed increased difficulties. No toys are sold in the store, which eliminates a significant part of the potential problem, but there are books and clothes that are intended for children under age 12.
“Our main office in O‘ahu communicates with us to make sure recalls are pulled and our employees are trained to sort out items that cannot be sold,” Clement said, pointing to a sign on display that informs customers and donors to report any items that have been recalled.
When asked for his advice on addressing the problem of lead and other hazardous substances, Clement said finding knowledgeable, caring volunteers would be the best idea.
The CPSC is a relatively small operation and there is already difficulty in enforcing safety regulations. For now at least, it appears that the task of making homes, daycares and stores lead-free falls predominately on volunteers and other compassionate adults. Some feel that regulatory agencies such as the CPSC need to devote their efforts to the manufacturing of products in the first place.
Others share Truslow’s concern. For Amy Turenhout, the proprietor of the eco-friendly children’s store Ooh, Baby in Hanama‘ulu, it is a matter of “who’s working for who.”
Does the government regulate corporations or do corporations do the regulating? Many seem to feel that the profit motive trumps social and environmental responsibility for large companies.
“It’s up to people to make a change,” Turenhout said. “Everything is not about money — it’s about affordability but conscience as well.”
Ooh, Baby has a large selection of organic fair trade items as well as locally produced clothing.
Some citizens and legislators have questioned the integrity of the CPSC.
Nancy Nord, acting chairperson of the committee, has made headlines multiple times by opposing increased corporate penalties for safety violations. In 2007, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked then-President George W. Bush to fire Nord from her position.
Notwithstanding these events, the enactment of the recent CPSC act is a clear sign that there is concern about dangerous substances such as lead and phthalates.
• Toby Remmers, freelance writer, can be reached via news editor Nathan Eagle at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or via e-mail at neagle@kauaipubco.com
