A couple of cases from the files of the US Consumer
Product Safety Commission (CPSC) point up gaps in Australian practice with regards to
imports. Nesting dolls from Russia were seized by US Customs, because the dolls violated
the CPSC lead paint regulation.
Painted armadillos, made from gourds, and imported from Mexico, were
recalled by the importer in the USA, when the paint was found to contain excess lead (more
than 0.06% by weight). Approximately 5000 armadillos were involved.
The LEAD Group has not heard of a single case since 1991 of a painted
product being seized by Australian Customs because of excess lead. What are the guarantees
here Are the products being tested by Customs We know, for example, that lead-soldered
food cans continue to be imported, with very little, if any testing of the lead content of
the food in those cans. And we know that crayons were tested for lead by the NSW Health
Department but the results were never published. Elizabeth returned from the US with the
US CPSC's procedure for testing lead in crayons and assessing the hazard. So now all we
need is a body to test crayons and publish the results. Over one million boxes of
imported crayons containing lead have been sold in the US since 1990 and the CPSC has
begun a massive recall. The list of importers is available from the CLIC on request.
