Thomas Tank Maker Agrees to $1.25 Million Settlement in Chinese Lead Case

By Kevin Robinson in News on Dec 30, 2009 5:30PM

RC2 Corporation, the Oak Brook-based maker and marketer of Thomas & Friends wooden train toys, has agreed to pay a $1.25 million civil penalty in a settlement reached Monday with the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. The CPSC charged that RC2 had "knowingly" imported and sold Chinese-made toys with paints and surface coatings that contained excessive lead levels in violation of the federal lead paint ban. While the CPSC said it was the second largest penalty even imposed against a toymaker, RC2 denied that it had knowingly violated the federal lead paint ban. "All similar products that RC2 markets today meet or exceed not only safety standards set by U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, but toy safety standards worldwide," the company said in a statement. "Toy safety is our top priority at RC2, and we have a comprehensive testing program in place that creates a strong protective barrier to provide parents added comfort and assure continued full compliance with product safety standards around the globe."

RC2 imported up to 1.5 million Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway toys with lead paint between January 2005 and June 2007. The toys were eventually recalled in June 2007. Unfortunately the Thomas and Friends toy recall wasn't the first lead paint recall for RC2. In September 2007 the toymaker recalled three toys included in the Britains brand Knights of the Sword product line, and in December of 2007 it recalled the 3-in-1 Flush & Sounds Potty Training Seat.

"RC2 failed to take adequate action to ensure that the toys would comply with the lead paint ban. This failure created a risk of lead poisoning and adverse health effects to children," the CPSC said in a statement. It is unknown if any Chinese manufacturers have been penalized for contaminating children's toys.

Further reading: The Tribune won a Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for their report on toys tainted with lead.