By Rita R. Robison, Blogging at The Survive and thrive Boomer Guide

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is fining nine children’s product manufacturers, importers, and sellers who have agreed to pay more than $500,000 in civil penalties for violating the federal lead paint ban.

The penalties settle charges that the firms knowingly manufactured, imported, or sold toys and other children’s articles with paint or other surface coatings that contained lead levels in violation of federal law. The commission has provisionally accepted the settlements.

Michael’s Store writing pens

These products were recalled in 2007 and 2008, and include items such as toys, children’s metal jewelry, children’s pens, metal water bottles, pencil pouches, sunglasses, and children’s Halloween pails and baskets.

Tests showed that paint or surface coatings on these children’s products contained lead in excess of 600 ppm, or 0.06 percent, by weight.

One firm’s testing revealed that its products contained surface coatings with nearly 60 percent lead.

In 1978, a federal ban was put in place that prohibited toys and other children’s articles from having more than 0.06 percent lead by weight in paints or surface coatings.

Lead can be toxic if ingested by young children and can cause health problems.

The commission has ordered the following firms to pay civil penalties to the federal government:

• Cardinal Distributing Co. Inc., of Baltimore, Md., $100,000, Recall No. 07-157

• Dollar General Corp., of Goodlettsville, Tenn., $100,000, Recalls No. 08-007, No. 08-068, and No. 08-080

• Family Dollar Stores Inc., of Matthews, N.C., $75,000, Recall No. 08-051

• Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., of Oklahoma City, Okla., $50,000, Recalls No. 08-084 and No. 08-229

• First Learning Co. Ltd., of Hong Kong, $50,000, Recalls No. 08-141 and No. 08-174

• Michaels Stores Inc., of Irving, Texas, $45,000, Recall No. 08-248

• A&A Global Industries Inc., of Cockeysville, Md., $40,000, Recall No. 07-144

• Raymond Geddes & Co., of Baltimore, Md., $40,000, Recall No. 08-096

• Downeast Concepts Inc., of Yarmouth, Maine, $30,000, Recall No. 08-231

Downeast Concepts metal water bottles

In agreeing to settle the matters, the firms deny the commission’s allegations that they knowingly violated the law.

The commission is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to thse product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell the agency about it by visiting www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx.

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