Mattel Corp. agrees to pay $2.3 million for selling toys containing excessive lead

Mattel Corporation, the famous American toy maker, will pay civil penalties worth $2.3 million for violating the “federal lead paint ban.” According to Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Mattel Corp. and its Fisher-Price pre-school division imported and sold children toys that contains harmful lead beyond the permitted level and violated 30 year old federal law. Both companies agreed to the penalty but they said that they did not violate any laws. CNN Money.com reports:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the fine against the No. 1 toymaker and its Fisher-Price pre-school division was the highest ever for the agency's regulated product violations and the third largest in its history.

"This penalty should serve notice to toy makers that CPSC is committed to the safety of children, to reducing their exposure to lead, and to the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act," CPSC acting chairman Thomas Moore, said in a statement.

In 1978, a federal law was passed which does not allow more than 0.06% lead “by weight in paints or surface coatings.” Between September 2006 and August 2007, Mattel Toys imported upto 900,000 toys including the famous “Sarge” toy car and large number of Barbies that does not comply with the Consumer Product Safety Act.