Lethal lead levels found in Congressional gift shop souvenirs

[LynneSin]

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Potentially_lethal_lead_doses_in_Congressional_1212.html

Lethal lead levels found in Congressional gift shop souvenirs

RAW STORY
Published: Tuesday December 12, 2006

A report released today by Democratic staffers in Congress found that official Capitol Hill gift shops were selling items containing dangerous levels of lead, according to news stories in Roll Call and The Hill.

Staff from the offices of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) jointly published the report yesterday. Out of 13 items tested, 7 contained dangerous levels of lead, with some items amounting to "lethal levels." The items have been pulled from the four Congressional gift shops where they were for sale.

According to the report from The Hill's Kelly McCormack, the following items had dangerous levels of lead: bracelets and eagle pendants, a Capitol dome pin, and a Capitol charm and souvenir spoon. In all, 13 items were tested. One $4.95 silver-plated bracelet contained 38 percent lead, which is a potentially lethal dosage.

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[derby378]

1. Replace them with pewter, perhaps?

The same thing happened with lead miniatures about 12 years ago, as any hardcore AD&D/Battletech/Warhammer fan probably knows. They were replaced with pewter miniatures, which bumped up the price of an average figurine from $4 to $5, but was much safer to work with.

[TechBear_Seattle]

5. Many pewter mixes include lead

Pewter consists of between 85% and 99% tin, with a small amount of copper added to keep the alloy from being too soft. Lead is often added (anywhere from 1% to 14%) to give the pewter a bluish tint and to lower the cost of the finished item (lead costs less than tin.)

I expect the items in question already are pewter, but made from an alloy with a high lead content.

[walldude]

2. They are gearing up for when they put lead back in gasoline..

Quite the plan they have there....

[TechBear_Seattle]

3. Probably made in China pewter

With the WTO treaties (thanks a hell of a lot, Mr. Clinton!), it is illegal to enforce US safety standards on things like lead content. If the manufacturer can get their government to file a complaint, we will lose.

[madrchsod]

4. chinese made shit

my mom found one item in the statue of liberty gift shop that was made in the usa. wanna bet how many usa made products are in that gift shop?

[hootinholler]

6. A SPOON?!?!

A freaking SPOON? Perfect size to feed baby with, those little spoons.

UNBELEIBERMANABLE

-Hoot

[havocmom]

7. And we thought all the lead was in the asses who are leaving Congress

:shrug:

[Peace Patriot]

8. At least we're not the only ones cursed with shit made God knows where,

maybe by Jack Abramoff's and Tom Delay's sex slaves in Saipan, or for 25 cents a day in Cambodia. Congressman wants to buy a "Capitol charm" or "souvenir spoon" for somebody back home, he gets to buy one "made in China," and what is more, that might kill people. Maybe this will wake up the "free trade" (global corporate predator) whores in our party.

Credit to Henry Waxman and Barack Obama! Wake 'em up, guys! Good work!

And anybody wondering why 50,000 of us shut down the WTO meeting in Seattle in 1999, and why our protest got royally slandered from one end of the country to the other, by the corporate news monopolies: THIS is why. The WTO = slow death by poverty, or fast death by poisoning. Or anybody wondering why 20 third world countries, led by Brazil, revolted at the WTO meeting in Cancun in 2003: This is why. The WTO = THEIR poor workers being the first to die from the lead poison, before it gets shipped here for your children and grandchildren to chew on.