Burner Toy Testing Yields Troubling Results
View Images of Contaminated Items
Results of toxics-testing that Darcy sponsored last weekend revealed that a significant number of commonly available toys contain lead and other contaminants at levels far beyond those considered safe by reputable authorities.
On December 15 and 16, the Burner for Congress campaign hosted free toy testing opportunities in seven communities for parents concerned about toy safety. The testing drew a strong turnout across the district. The events received great local press, including coverage by three TV stations.
The campaign conducted 798 tests on 479 toys and children’s items that were brought in for testing from across the district. 56 items tested positive for lead, and of those 47 items – 10 percent of the total – contained excessive lead levels above the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended maximum of 40 parts per million. Nine items tested positive for cadmium, another toxic element.
“That about one out of every ten toys we tested contained high levels of lead is shocking evidence that our government in Washington, D.C. is not fulfilling its most important responsibilities,” Burner said. “Parents should not have to worry that the toys they are giving as presents could damage their children’s development, yet that is exactly what is happening.
“I’m amazed it has not happened already, but if I am elected to Congress next year, I will push for legislation to adopt in full the American Academy of Pediatrics common sense recommendations made to Congress this October to eliminate lead content above trace levels in children’s products and to increase funding for testing of toy safety,” Burner said.
“This administration needs to get its priorities straight. Recent news reports have revealed that the Consumer Products Safety Commission currently has only one staffer in the entire country tasked with testing toys, while the current director and her predecessor have traveled on nearly 30 junkets paid for by toy companies and other consumer products manufacturers,” Burner said. “This is truly a scandal. Children are being put at risk while our leading regulators are hobnobbing in resort locales with industry lobbyists and so far nothing is being done about it.”
The testing took place in seven locations: Bellevue, Mercer Island, Renton, Covington, Puyallup, Redmond and Issaquah. Burner thanked all the local officials and organizations that co-sponsored the testing, including State Senator Claudia Kauffman, State Senator Eric Oemig, State Rep. Zach Hudgins, Bellevue City Councilmember Claudia Balducci, Mercer Island City Councilmember Mike Grady, recent Council candidate Maureen Judge, the United Steelworkers and the Kiwanis Club of the Foothills.
The toy testing was done with the generous assistance of ESSCO Safety Check, an area company that specializes in offering home visits to test household items and toys for contamination with dangerous chemicals. Company representatives used an XRF (X-Ray Flourescence) Analyzer, essentially a high-tech x-ray gun, to check for the presence of toxic chemicals in consumer products.
The Washington Toxics Coalition also had representatives on site during the tests, and the results will be used to update their toxics ratings of more than 1200 toys.
