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Mattel to pay out 12 mln dollars over Chinese-made toxic toys
New York (AFP) Dec 15, 2008 US toy giant Mattel is to pay 12 million dollars to US authorities over last year's recall of two million Chinese-made toxic toys, US officials said Monday. The toys, fabricated by Mattel and subsidiary Fisher Price, were found to have traces of lead paint in them. The damage payment will be shared among 39 US states which reached a settlement agreement Monday with Mattel and Fisher-Price, resolving a 15-month probe into the events that lead to the voluntary recall of the companies' toys. The consent judgment requires Mattel to make a payment of 12 million dollars by January 30 to be divided among the participating states, said Martha Coakley, Attorney General of Massachusetts, which led the multi-state group investigation and settlement. "Lead is highly toxic, particularly to young children. Higher exposures to lead, such as the levels found in these toys, can cause grave health problems, Coakley said in a statement. She said the agreement also included lead monitoring requirements aimed at preventing such a public health scare, in addition to funds for protecting children from the dangers of lead poisoning. From August to October, 2007, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled about two million Mattel and Fisher-Price toys, all manufactured by contractors in China as they contained excessive lead levels. The US Congress has since enacted a law, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, requiring more stringent standards for lead in toys, effective February 2009. Under a judgment filed Monday, Mattel must phase-in more stringent standards ahead of the timelines provided by the newly enacted law, Coakley said. China is the world's biggest toy exporter, with total sales of 60 billion toys in 2006, amounting to 60 percent of the world market. Concerns have mounted over the years about the safety of China-made products following a series of scandals, ranging from dairy products, to tires, toothpaste, dog food and toys. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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