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Mar 18, 2008 1:02 pm US/Central

I-TEAM: Gov't Issues $1M Fine In Lead Jewelry Case

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―

The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the largest civil penalty ever for a violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act Tuesday morning. The $1 million civil penalty is against Reebok International Ltd. the company that included free charm bracelets with various children's shoes.

In February 2006 4-year-old Jarnell Brown from Minneapolis swallowed a charm off one of those bracelets and died from lead poisoning. Reebok agreed to the settlement but denies it violated federal law.

The I-TEAM first exposed the dangers of lead in children's jewelry in 2004. Since then the CPSC has recalled millions of pieces of jewelry including the 300,000 bracelets Reebok included with children's shoes.

The FHSA bans toxic levels of accessible lead in toys and other children's products. CPSC's enforcement policy urges manufacturers of children's metal jewelry to keep lead content below 0.06 percent by weight.

"This civil penalty sends a clear message that the CPSC will not allow companies to put children's safety at risk," said CPSC acting chairman Nancy Nord.  "Preventing dangerous metal jewelry from reaching the hands of children is a priority for our agency."

Since 1977 the CPSC has levied 233 to companies that violated federal rules.


(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.