The second hand store industry is on high alert about new requirements in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The law says children's products with more than 600 parts per million total lead cannot lawfully be sold in the U.S. after February 10th, even if they were manufactured before that date.
Thrift stores from coast to coast worry about how they will possibly check lead levels on thousands of used things. "From my understanding it was going to be five dollars per item to test your garments. A business this size, that would be $1500 a day," says Ed Byrdy, whose wife owns Kids Act II in Cornersburg. "How are we going to test clothing for lead that's been washed so many times before? We were just really shocked yesterday," adds Denise Falatic, co-owner of The Closet Monsters in Warren. "It would run us right out of business. There would be no ands, ifs, or buts about it," says Byrdy.
The backlash from the hand me down community seems to be working. Thursday the CPSC issued a release to clarify some of the requirements and exemptions under the new law. The Commission says sellers of used children's products are not required to certify those products meet the new lead limits, and it doesn't require them to test products in their inventory for compliance.
The people we spoke with understand the need to protect our children, but say the government is being too over protective, especially when second hand products and services are needed during the recession. Falatic says, "Our parents can't afford to go out and buy brand new everyday for each kid. Nobody's keeled over from a cute little outfit from a thrift store."
There's a 30 day public comment period. No final rules will be approved until after February 10th, when the testing goes into effect.
