LANSING – Oakland County State Representatives Lisa Brown (D-West Bloomfield) and Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills) today voted in favor of a series of bills that will help parents better protect Michigan's children from toys containing toxic chemicals by requiring manufacturers to report what chemicals they use in the production of toys and other children's products sold in Michigan. Manufacturers that fail to comply with the reporting requirements will be forced to pay penalties and have their products pulled from the shelves.
"As a parent myself, I have a right to know what materials are in the toys I buy my children," Brown said. "This plan is an important first step in giving parents knowledge of what chemicals are out there and what their children might be exposed to. Even small doses of these chemicals can be extremely harmful."
The legislation, known as the Michigan Children's Safe Products Act, is a seven-bill package designed to give parents the tools they need to protect their children from harmful chemicals. The plan requires the Michigan Department of Community Health (DCH) to create a list of "chemicals of concern" – those known to cause cancer, reproductive or developmental harm, neurological damage or hormone disruption.
From this initial list, DCH will create and regularly update a list of "chemicals of highest concern" based on their use in children's products and their presence in children, household dust, human breast milk or cord blood. DCH will make this information easily accessible to the public through a Web site or other means.
"Our country is being flooded with cheaply made goods from countries that do not regulate the toxic materials that end up in children's toys," Barnett said. "Because manufacturers won't fight the problem at the source, we must fight it here in Michigan. This plan will protect Michigan consumers and their families from these potentially dangerous toys by requiring toxic ingredients to be disclosed."
Under the plan, large manufacturers and distributors of children's products that contain "chemicals of highest concern"
will have to publicly identify which of their products contain the chemicals, how much they contain and the reason
why the chemical is in the product.
Manufacturers who fail to comply with the reporting requirements will face penalties of up to $5,000 for the first offense, up to $25,000 for the second offense and up to $50,000 for the third or subsequent offense. Those who knowingly violate the act will face a fine of up to $150,000.
Manufacturers that don't comply with the rules could see their products pulled off the shelves by the Attorney General
and the further sale of those products in Michigan would be prohibited. The plan also encourages DCH, along with the
Department of Environmental Quality, to participate in an interstate clearinghouse to share information and promote
safer alternatives.
Chronic exposure to toxic chemicals in children's toys, such as arsenic, mercury and bromine have been linked to reproductive problems, developmental and learning disabilities, hormone problems and cancer. These chemicals have been found in popular toys such as Dora the Explorer lunch bags, Playskool's Mr. Potato Head, Mattel's Ballerina Barbie, Disney's High School Musical belts and necklaces, and Little Tikes bath letters and numbers. Many of these products are made overseas in China and other nations.