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Angry US consumer watchdog chief tells toy industry to clean up its act

"I will not tolerate this industry ... not complying with our regulations."

Nancy Nord, acting chair of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission

The acting chair of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) lashed out at the toy industry for a lack of safety controls that led to a string of highly publicized recalls, and she warned that the industry has the obligation to regulate itself.

"I will not tolerate this industry ... not complying with our regulations," Nancy Nord said on Monday in an address at the annual American International Toy Fair expo, whose four-day run ends today.

Nord said the federal agency, under attack for not acting quickly enough to eliminate hazardous products from store shelves, is adding staff and working more closely with customs officials to stop suspect imports. But she noted that "we all need to take responsibility" to make toys safer, and she said she was "very angry" about recalls involving lead paint because they showed a breakdown in quality control.

Nord's comments came as the agency works closely with the Toy Industry Association to develop mandatory testing standards after millions of toys, most of them imported from China, were recalled last year because of lead or other hazards. There were 61 toy recalls last year, compared with 40 in 2006, she said.

The trade group on Monday released details of a certification program that mandates uniform testing, auditing of factories and risk assessment analysis of each product. The program dovetails with pending federal legislation that will authorize the CPSC to create such a program or designate a body to do so.

The final initiative by the industry group and the American National Standards Institute will be released later this week and will be subject to a 30-day public comment review. A final proposal will then be presented to the industry group's board for final adoption and implementation.

The House of Representatives bill that aims to overhaul the CPSC and expands its authority overseeing safety of consumer products is awaiting the Senate counterpart, which could be passed in the next few weeks.

The final piece of legislation is expected to mesh the two bills, but many toy retailers including Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Toys "R" Us Inc, the top two US toy sellers, are getting ahead of the legislation by forcing their suppliers to comply with higher standards for lead and other requirements.

Wal-Mart and Toys "R" Us announced on Friday that toys shipped to their chains starting March 1 would have to meet a tougher standard for lead in surface paint. The two are also phasing out chemicals found in PVC that have raised safety concerns in products for infants and young children. Their measures are meant to meet or exceed new federal standards.
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