Jo-Ann Stores to Pay $50,000 Civil Penalty for Violating Federal Lead Paint Ban

News provided by

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Apr 28, 2010, 03:03 ET

WASHINGTON, April 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that Jo-Ann Stores Inc., of Hudson, Ohio, has agreed to pay a $50,000 civil penalty for allegedly importing and selling children's products that violated the federal lead paint ban.

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The penalty settlement which has been provisionally accepted by the Commission, resolves CPSC staff allegations that Jo-Ann Stores knowingly imported and sold Robbie Ducky™ children's products that contained lead paint in excess of the federal government's 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 percent).

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 percent) to 90 ppm (.009 percent).

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
Robbie Ducky™ children's toy rakes – An additional 97,000 toy rakes were 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 is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from over about 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $800 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

Under federal law, it is illegal to attempt to sell or re-sell this or any other recalled product.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772, teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers can obtain this press release and recall information at www.cpsc.gov. To join a free e-mail subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx.

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772

SOURCE U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission