The fight against the CPSIA continues

Publisher's Weekly has a new article on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 today. "Children's Book Safety Issue Heats Up", which included the following:

On January 22, the Consumer Products Safety Commission held a public meeting, requested by the Association of American Publishers, during which AAP, along with representatives from major children’s publishers, printers, and manufacturers of components, presented additional evidence to the CPSC’s science team and General Counsel that children’s books do not contain lead. The presentation included additional results from more than 150 tests of finished products, which have been added to the mass of evidence already compiled about the safety of components. This data is required in order for the CPSC to ultimately make a determination about whether traditional books will be exempted from the Act.

The article goes on to state: Meanwhile, there also has been a bit of movement on Capitol Hill. Representative Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Representative Bobby L. Rush, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, along with their counterparts from the Senate, John D. Rockefeller and Mark L. Pryor, sent a letter to the CPSC urging faster action on deciding which industries—including book publishing—might be exempted, as well as on clarifying testing procedures. In addition, some members of the Subcommittee wrote a letter to Chairman Waxman asking him to hold a round of committee hearings on the CPSIA.

I suggest everyone read the complete article. The fires are burning, but we still don't know what will happen, or if anything will happen in time. We need to continue to apply pressure.

One glimmer of hope for publishers, including 4RV, which uses Lightning Source for printing: LSI will handle the testing requirements and provide certification. As of now, they say prices for printing will not be affected -- as of now.

Inventory for publishers, book stores, and authors as well as for libraries and schools, still will have to be tested as the law stands, and great loss will occur February 10.

The loss for other businesses dealing with children's items will be impacted, still.

A solution will be found only if we, the dirty masses of voters, continue to contact people in power and demand accountability and change. *finds another box of matches* We need to continue to apply heat.


.