After [February 10], all products for children under 12 — books, games, toys, sports equipment, furniture, clothes, DVDs, etc — must be tested for lead, and fall below a new 600 part-per-million limit, or face the landfill. Thanks to a September 12 memo from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the lead limit applies not only to new products, but also to inventory already on store shelves.
It's a perfect example of the unintended consequences of good intentions. As the article states, it's bad enough that this rule will apply to existing products, but since
The CPSC has not issued any ruling on whether libraries, schools, and other institutions that loan — rather than sell — books will be subject to the law. Without such clear guidance, says Adler, schools and libraries should assume they have to comply.
There's simply no way cash-strapped libraries will be able to comply with this, and thus would have to be forced to shut down their lending for under-12s. I can't imagine how this won't prompt such an outcry that the rule won't be changed, but for now, keep your eyes open.
UPDATE 2/3: Looks like the regulations were delayed a year.
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