WAL-MART TO REDUCE LEAD LEVELS IN COSTUME JEWELRY
CBS 5, CA
04/24/06 12:25 PDT
Wal-Mart has been added to the group of retailers and distributors who have agreed to meet new standards for lead levels in costume jewelry as part of a legal settlement, according to California Attorney General Bill Lockyer.
A state civil court approved a settlement with Wal-Mart on Thursday, which adds the retail chain to the collection of 70 other U.S. retailers that must pay a total of $1.9 million, including $100,000 in civil penalties, as part of the settlement.
The settlement requires companies and their suppliers to meet new standards for lead-free and low-lead jewelry as soon as possible but no later than March 2008, the Attorney General’s office reported. After March 2008, retailers must cease selling any product that does not meet the new standards.
Out of the total $1.9 million to be paid by the defendants, $250,000 will go to a jewelry-testing fund and $329,000 will be earmarked to educate consumers about the health risks from exposure to lead and other heavy metals.
The lawsuit was filed against the retailers in June 2004, and the settlement was initially approved in February. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants were violating Proposition 65, which requires that consumers be warned about exposure to materials known to cause cancer or pose a danger to reproductive health. Lockyer filed the suit because businesses were failing to inform consumers of the health risks involved with exposure to lead in jewelry.
Burlington Coat Factory, Claire’s Boutique, Express, Macy’s, Mervyn’s, Nordstrom, Ross, and Target are some of the companies that were part of the initial settlement.
The Gap, Saks Inc., Greenbrier International (Dollar Tree Stores), Reebok International, and QVC intend to voluntarily join the settlement, according to the Attorney General’s office.
Brain damage, kidney damage, hearing loss and impaired growth are some of the effects children and teenagers can experience if they are exposed to lead, according to the Attorney General’s office.
