CEH Finds Lead in Charms Sold by Build-A-Bear Workshop
The Center for Environmental Health announced it has found high levels of lead in charms sold by Build-A-Bear Workshop, the retailer of stuffed animals for children.
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CEH Claims Certain Pin Contains Over 10X Legal Lead Limit
In March 2010, CEH purchased a "Love. Hugs. Peace. Collectibear® Pin" from Build-A-Bear, and independent lab tests show the piece contains lead at more than 10 times the legal limit under the federal Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.
Despite warning the company about this lead level, the item is still for sale on the company's Web site.
CEH states that despite its repeated efforts to engage the company in addressing the problem, including a pending lawsuit and a letter sent to its CEO, Build-A-Bear has refused to take appropriate action to address the lead threats its products pose to children's health.
CEH first notified Build-A-Bear of the issue of high levels of lead in its products in December 2007, when CEH sent the company a legal notice informing them that a charm purchased at a California Build-A-Bear store tested by an independent laboratory contained lead above the legal limit. Because Build-A-Bear refused to take appropriate action at that time, in July 2008 CEH filed a lawsuit charging the company with violation of California consumer protection law.
Since then, the court has repeatedly sanctioned Build-A-Bear for failure to comply with court orders, and issued an order to show cause why further sanctions should not be imposed for "continued failure to comply with applicable Rules of Court, failure to provide responses to the discovery demands of Plaintiff, and failure to timely and effectively pursue its defense of the case." The court has also imposed over $12,000 in monetary sanctions.
CEH Says Build-A-Bear March 2009 Lab Results are Insufficient
In an email response to CEH's letter, Build-A-Bear sent lab results from March 2009 showing that a sample of the "Love. Hugs. Peace. Collectibear Pin" tested at that time was found in compliance with federal laws.
However, CEH states that without further documentation, a single test result from a year ago does not address the issue of a March 2010 independent lab test showing lead levels in violation of federal law.
(See ITT’s Online Archives or 03/30/10 and 04/27/09 news, 10033020 and 09042730, for BP summaries of recent CEH lawsuits against various retailers regarding high lead content in jewelry, handbags, etc.)
CEH press release (dated 05/13/10) available at http://www.ceh.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=439&Itemid=166
Lawsuit Pending in CA Court, Over $12,000 in Court Sanctions Imposed