consumer product safety commission

Langer: Consumer Safety at Risk

by Angela Logomasini on June 15, 2009

in Environment

Check out Andrew Langer’s excellent piece in today’s Roll Call addressing challenges for the potential new chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). CEI has pointed out in the past how misguided CPSC regulations are often counter-productive, and we have commented before the agency about its misuse of science.

Today, Andrew, who heads the Institute for Liberty, highlights how Congress is making the problem even worse with more misguided mandates for CPSC to enforce, particularly regulations on phthalates. This is an issue that CEI has covered in studies and op-eds over the years. But misguided regulations continue. Langer explains: “The law includes an interim ban on certain phthalates, a class of chemicals used safely as a softener in children’s plastic toys for over 40 years. Even though the government’s own research says this product is safe, the ban remains in place until yet more testing is done. Nothing wrong with that — except that the replacements used in the meantime haven’t been tested at all. Congress responded to political pressure but made no attempt to evaluate comparative risks. In this provision, the CPSIA has succeeded in increasing risk for the very kids Congress congratulated itself for protecting.”

Book-Banning, 21st Century Style

by Iain Murray on February 10, 2009 · 6 comments

in Nanny State, Personal Liberty, Precaution & Risk, Regulation

Remember the fuss when it was revealed that Sarah Palin had enquired about removing books from her town library? It would have been so much simpler if she’d just regulated them away on health and safety grounds. Because that’s the effect of the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, possibly the most ridiculous example of regulatory overreach this side of the EPA.

As the Headmistress explains over at The Common Room blog, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has explicitly rejected the arguments of libraries and booksellers that common sense should apply, because:

…we know that the ink used in children’s books prior to the 1980′s did contain lead. We have not gotten the kind of information we need about all the components of children’s books to be able to issue them a blanket exemption. The industry has made assertions and done very limited testing, but the Act requires more, as it should, before we can exempt a children’s product from the lead content requirements of the law. We cannot act on the “everyone knows children’s books don’t contain lead” and “historically there has never been a problem with lead in children’s books” assertions, particularly when we now know that children’s books have indeed contained lead in the past. Our staff has asked the book industry to provide us with additional information. They need to provide all of the information that our staff believes is necessary in order for the Commission to act based on sound science and comprehensive market coverage.

Note the point about Congress passing a law encompassing “all products” for children under twelve, “and they are surprised to discover it included books.” No better example could there be of Congress abusing its powers of regulation, and no better example should there be for real regulatory reform in this country. We have, after all, ten thousand such commandments.