JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

New York Attorney General Sues Walmart and Target Over Lead-Contaminated Toy

Alleging that products they sold contained 10 times more lead than the federal limit.

New York State Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced Thursday that she is suing Walmart, Target, and international toy importer LaRose Industries, after testing revealed that LaRose’s “Cra-Z-Jewelz” kit vastly exceeded federal lead limits. The New York Daily News reports that in 2015 and 2016, parts of the kit tested at up to 10 times the legal lead standard. When LaRose first heard of the investigation, the company recalled the product, and has since worked to ensure that its products comply with federal standards. But according to the lawsuit, Target and Walmart have not “take[n] affirmative measures sufficient to ensure that they do not again import, distribute, and sell other toys that place New York children at risk of adverse health consequences from lead exposure.” The lawsuit intends to compel the retail giants to run random product tests and verify that imported products are properly certified. “Our lawsuit seeks to hold these companies accountable for the failures that allowed lead-contaminated toys on store shelves,” Underwood said, “while forcing them to take responsibility for the safety of the products they sell.”