ALBANY, N.Y., Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Two big U.S. retailers have agreed to stop selling lead-tainted children's jewelry, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.
Discount retailer Big Lots Inc. of Columbus, Ohio, and crafts store Michaels Stores Inc. of Irving, Texas, said they would immediately discontinue sales of the jewelry at their stores across the country, Cuomo said.
Eleven smaller retailers and online stores also have settled with Cuomo's office and agreed to take the lead-laced jewelry off their shelves, he said.
Cuomo's announcement coincided with a nationwide recall of the lead-contaminated jewelry by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Cuomo said the commission based its recall on lead tests his office made of the jewelry. Those tests found about half the items analyzed contained excessive amounts of lead, with some containing more than 1,000 times the level the U.S. agency considers safe.
The settlements with the retailers are binding and enforceable, with violations resulting in automatic penalties, Cuomo said.
Cuomo's office urged parents to check their children's jewelry and toys to determine if any items may contain dangerous levels of lead.
The federal consumer-product agency and the New York state Department of Health maintain a list of items recalled for excessive lead content.
The lists can be found on their Web sites: www.health.state.ny.us/environmental/lead and www.cpsc.gov.
