AG rips big stores over lead in toys

ALBANY — State Attorney General Barbara Underwood filed a lawsuit Thursday against Walmart, Target and a toy importer claiming they sold products that contained dangerous amounts of lead.

The suit filed in Albany state Supreme Court came after testing showed Cra-ZJewelz jewelry-making kits imported by LaRose Industries and sold at the chains in 2015 and 2016 contained parts with lead levels up to 10 times higher than the federal limit of 100 parts per million for children’s products.

After the AG began a probe, LaRose issued a nationwide recall of the kits and began implementing measures to ensure the toys it imports meet federal lead limits.

But Target and Walmart have refused “take affirmative measures sufficient to ensure that they do not again import, distribute and sell other toys that place New York children at risk,” the suit says.

The suit filed Thursday seeks penalties of between $70 and $6,000 for each kit sold in New York as well as a court order requiring they take actions to ensure unsafe toys aren’t for sale in their stores.

A Walmart spokesman said, “We take our customers’ safety seriously and require our suppliers to meet all safety standards.” He said the company removed the product from its shelves and from online as soon as it was informed by LaRose Industries of the recall nearly three years ago and hasn’t sold it since.

Target and LaRose did not return requests for comment.