http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/arizona-pirg-alerts-shoppers-to-hidden-toy-hazards Calls passage of strong reforms good step but warns “Buyer Beware” this year http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/arizona-pirg-alerts-shoppers-to-hidden-toy-hazards Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:34:47 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/statement-of-diane-e.-brown-arizona-pirgs-executive-director-on-final-passage-of-wall-street-bailout-legislation-today “The Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) is deeply http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/statement-of-diane-e.-brown-arizona-pirgs-executive-director-on-final-passage-of-wall-street-bailout-legislation-today Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:26:22 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/arizona-pirgs-main-street-financial-reform-platform Reforms that must be included in any emergency bailout legislation that may be considered before Congress adjourns. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/arizona-pirgs-main-street-financial-reform-platform Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:28:43 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/consumer-groups-applaud-u.s.-house-passage-of-strong-product-safety-bill Today, consumer, public interest and scientific groups applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for passing strong product safety reform legislation that would overhaul the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The bi- partisan Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act will make consumer products safer by requiring that toys and infant products be tested before they are sold, and by banning lead and phthalates in toys. The bill also will create a publicly accessible consumer complaint database, give the CPSC the resources it needs to protect the public, increase civil penalties that CPSC can assess against violators of CPSC laws, and protect whistleblowers who report product safety defects. In approving this sweeping reform measure, the U.S. House of Representatives put children’s and consumer’s safety first by enacting the most significant improvements of the CPSC since the Agency was established in the 1970’s. Consumer groups urged the U.S. Senate to vote on this measure this week, before the August recess. “We applaud the U.S. House for recognizing that toxic chemicals like lead and phthalates have no business in our children’s toys,” said Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of Arizona PIRG. “This bill is a huge victory for America's littlest consumers in the face of ExxonMobil and the chemical industry’s efforts to gut it. The U.S. Senate should waste no time in sending it to the President’s desk.” “Scientists working on consumer product safety will also benefit from this new legislation,” said Dr. Francesca T. Grifo, director, Scientific Integrity Program, Union of Concerned Scientists. “A stronger Inspector General and a website for CPSC employees to anonymously report their concerns, along with whistleblower protections for those who report about unsafe products, will contribute to more transparency and accountability at this agency,” added Grifo. “With today’s House passage of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, we are one step closer to establishing a child safety system that will keep our children safe from tainted toys and collapsing cribs,” stated Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger. “We now urge the Senate and the President to act swiftly to get these life-saving measures in place.” The U.S. House and U.S. Senate conferees on the product safety measure concluded action this weekend. The conference report on the legislation must now be approved by the President for his signature. Here are some examples of how this legislation changes and improves the safety of products sold in the United States: • Lead will be essentially eliminated from toys and children’s products. • Consumers will have access to a publicly-accessible database to report and learn about hazards posed by unsafe products. • Toys and other children’s products will be required to be tested for safety before they are sold. • State Attorneys General will have the necessary authority to enforce product safety laws. • CPSC has the authority to levy more significant civil penalties against violators of its safety regulations, which will help deter wrongdoing. • Toxic phthalates will be been banned from children’s products. • Whistleblowers will be granted important protections. • CPSC will receive substantial increases in its resources – including its staffing levels, its laboratory and computer resources and its various authorities to conduct recalls and take other actions - going forward. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/consumer-groups-applaud-u.s.-house-passage-of-strong-product-safety-bill Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:12:12 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/cpsc-data-show-safety-recalls-increased-22-percent-over-last-year Leading Consumer Groups Urge Congress To Enact Strong Reforms Before Recess http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/cpsc-data-show-safety-recalls-increased-22-percent-over-last-year Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:50:06 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/president-signs-landmark-consumer-product-safety-act Bill Provides Important New Protections for Children and Consumers The Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) today lauded the enactment of the landmark Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act of 2008 which provides the toughest lead standards in the world for children’s products. The Act also strengthens the oversight of toys and children’s products by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) – oversight which had withered on the vine in recent years. “Today, America’s littlest consumers scored a huge victory,” stated Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of Arizona PIRG. “The Product Safety Modernization Act contains some of the strongest product safety reforms in recent history which will safeguard the health of children in Arizona and across the country.” Last year, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund’s annual toy safety survey alerted shoppers to hidden toy hazards. The report stated that while progress had been made over the last two decades, researchers still found lead-laden and dangerous toys on store shelves. Also in 2007, the CPSC recalled millions of popular toys, including Barbie and Polly Pockets, for poorly designed magnets that fell out. Other toy hazards reported in the Arizona PIRG Education Fund annual survey included toys containing phthalates and other toxic chemicals, excessively loud toys, and strangulation hazards. Consumer groups also dubbed 2007 the “Year of the Recall.” This year, dangerous toy and product recalls occurred at an even swifter rate. Among these, the CPSC has recalled more than one million more magnet toys based on the 2007 Arizona PIRG Education Fund survey. According to a report released by Arizona PIRG and partners in the product safety coalition in July, recalls have increased by 22% in 2008. The bill is a historic step forward in product safety. In addition to its massive increase in CPSC resources and funding, and its increase in civil penalty and recall authorities, the new law will: http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/president-signs-landmark-consumer-product-safety-act Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:14:04 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/statement-of-neal-denardi---students-for-arizona-pirg-at-the-university-of-arizona Attorney General Goddard’s Consumer Guide for Young Adults News Conference Students http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/statement-of-neal-denardi---students-for-arizona-pirg-at-the-university-of-arizona Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:30:29 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/arizona-pirg-applauds-u.s.-senate-passage-of-comprehensive-cpsc-reform---------urges-swift-negotiations-with-u.s.-house The Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG), a leading Arizona consumer group that has published annual toy safety surveys for over twenty years, today applauded U.S. Senate passage of comprehensive legislation to “give the CPSC the money and authority it needs to protect the public from dangerous products.” “We praise the U.S. Senate for soundly defeating several weakening amendments requested by manufacturers of the toys and products that made 2007 the year of the recall,” said Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of Arizona PIRG. The bi-partisan U.S. Senate CPSC Reform Act, S. 2663, now heads to a conference committee to reconcile differences with the companion legislation HR 4040 passed by the U.S. House in December. Among the highlights of the U.S. Senate bill: http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/arizona-pirg-applauds-u.s.-senate-passage-of-comprehensive-cpsc-reform---------urges-swift-negotiations-with-u.s.-house Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:09:59 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/statement-of-arizona-pirgs-diane-e.-brown-on-u.s.-house-passage-of--cpsc-reform The Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) appreciates the hard work that has gone into crafting H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act. Our current product safety system is in dire need of comprehensive reform, and this bill represents the first concrete effort to help protect consumers while addressing industry concerns. The issue now moves to the U.S. Senate, where we look forward to working with members as they continue to work to strengthen the nation’s product safety net. The U.S. Senate should hold, and the U.S. House should agree to, stronger U.S. Senate provisions on CPSC enforcement authority, State Attorney General’s enforcement of consumer protections; subjecting dangerous magnets to toy testing standards; public disclosure of important product hazard information; and critical protections for whistleblowers, among others. We hope to work with both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate to get a strong final CPSC reform bill to the President as soon next year as possible. H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act, reflects a compromise to fix our broken product safety system. This bill: increases funding and staff for the Consumer Product Safety Commission; includes a major provision to reduce lead in children’s toys and other products; and establishes new testing requirements for children’s products. This bill is a meaningful step in the effort to give CPSC the tools it needs to protect American consumers, especially children, from the hazards posed by unsafe products. We look forward to continued oversight by the U.S. House of Representatives to ensure that the CPSC is doing all it should to protect our children. We also commend both houses for the final passage of provisions in the Omnibus package providing CPSC with an $80 million budget for FY08 –$17 million more than the Commission received last year, and $16.75 million than the Administration’s request. While Congress hasn’t yet given America’s littlest consumers the safe toys that full CPSC reform will guarantee, this is a tremendous stocking stuffer. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/statement-of-arizona-pirgs-diane-e.-brown-on-u.s.-house-passage-of--cpsc-reform Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:11:25 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/state-attorney-generals-letter-on-product-safety-reform http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/state-attorney-generals-letter-on-product-safety-reform Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:04:23 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/-arizona-pirg-alerts-shoppers-to-hidden-toy-hazards http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/-arizona-pirg-alerts-shoppers-to-hidden-toy-hazards Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:41:32 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/statement-of-u_s_-pirg-consumer-program-director-ed-mierzwinski-on-latest-mattel/china-recall The unfortunate news that another 9 million toys tainted with lead http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/statement-of-u_s_-pirg-consumer-program-director-ed-mierzwinski-on-latest-mattel/china-recall Mon, 27 Aug 2007 14:22:41 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/the-arizona-pirg-education-fund-commends-consumer-product-safety-commission-for-taking-first-step-toward-banning-lead-in-childrens-jewelry Yesterday, http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/the-arizona-pirg-education-fund-commends-consumer-product-safety-commission-for-taking-first-step-toward-banning-lead-in-childrens-jewelry Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:23:17 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/arizona-pirg-education-fund-alerts-shoppers-to-hidden-toy-hazards Read the Report. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/arizona-pirg-education-fund-alerts-shoppers-to-hidden-toy-hazards Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:25:36 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/consumer-group-alerts-shoppers-to-hidden-toy-hazards Read the Report. Hazardous http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/consumer-group-alerts-shoppers-to-hidden-toy-hazards Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:43:22 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/new-report-documents-dangerous-chemicals-in-baby-products Toxic http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/new-report-documents-dangerous-chemicals-in-baby-products Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:45:31 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/ored-senator-john-mccain-for-his-unwavering-commitment-to-a-s As part of the state Public http://www.arizonapirg.org/ored-senator-john-mccain-for-his-unwavering-commitment-to-a-s Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:54:57 -0500 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/arizona-pirg-applauds-u.s.-senate-commerce-committee-passage-of-comprehensive-product-safety-bill Bill to Reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission Passes Out of Senate Committee Today, Congress Takes Action After Recall of 25 Million Unsafe Toys in 2007 The Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG) today commended the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee for its passage of the CPSC Reform Act of 2007, S. 2045. The bill is based on Arizona PIRG’s 3-part platform to protect the public: it strengthens bans on lead in children’s products, adds money and resources to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and improves surveillance of imports. “This bill fixes the holes in the product safety net and would make the CPSC the bigger agency that could, instead of the little agency that couldn’t,” said Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG). “With 25 million unsafe toys found in 2007 alone, we clearly need to hold toy manufacturers accountable for making their products safe by beefing up the enforcement authority of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.” The CPSC Reform Act of 2007, S. 2045 increases the CPSC’s annual budget from $62.7 million to $141.7 million by 2015, and significantly increases the Agency’s authority to get unsafe toys off of store shelves quickly. The bill increases civil monetary penalties from $1.8 million to $100 million per violation, requires independent third-party testing of products, improves CPSC’s ability to disclose safety information to the public, and contains a bright line ban on lead paint in children’s toys. The bill also allows State Attorneys General to help enforce the law. Arizona PIRG and other consumer groups have been working to ensure that the bill would be as protective of consumers as possible. The bill passed out of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee today with many strengthening amendments supported by the groups including: internet and catalogue warning labels; product registration cards to improve how consumers find out about recalls, mandatory toy safety standards, and improved whistleblower protections. Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are working on, but have yet to introduce, similar legislation. "The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee today gave the agency some of the tools it needs to protect all Americans, especially children, from dangerous imports and other hazards,” concluded Brown. http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/arizona-pirg-applauds-u.s.-senate-commerce-committee-passage-of-comprehensive-product-safety-bill Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:07:50 -0600 http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/retailers-misleading-consumers-on-the-digital-television-dtv-transition http://www.arizonapirg.org/newsroom/more-news/more-news/retailers-misleading-consumers-on-the-digital-television-dtv-transition Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:50:10 -0600