( Boise) March 11, 2009—An arbitrary decision by U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-California) has allowed a ban on the sale of all children’s off-highway vehicles (OHVs) to move forward. Waxman’s refusal to review a new rule by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will cost thousands of Idahoans the opportunity to recreate with their children on ATVs, snowmobiles, and off-highway motorcycles. These are some of the most popular recreation and transportation tools in the state.

Sandra Mitchell of the Idaho State Snowmobile Association says the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, and its interpretation by the safety commission, will result in thousands of Idaho families losing the opportunity to recreate together. It will also mean millions of dollars in lost sales for the dealers who sell and maintain this equipment, something Idaho’s struggling economy can ill afford.

The CPSIA was aimed at toys, jewelry and similar harmful items with lead in them that might be ingested by children. However, since the battery terminals, brake components and valve stems of recreation machines designed for young people also contain lead, the safety commission has decided that they too must be banned. Dealers will not be able to sell the machines or replace their parts when they break down. These same components on full sized vehicles, including trucks and cars, also contain lead.

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson called on Mr. Waxman last week to convene an oversight hearing to explore ways to stop these rules from affecting OHVs. So far, Congressman Waxman has refused to either hold a hearing or consider an exemption.

“This is not the only instance where unintended consequences of a law have surfaced after its passage,” Mitchell said. “We support laws that protect our children. However I cannot imagine that any children are placed at risk by the parts of these machines that contain lead. It is clear that leaving these new rules in place will hurt Idaho families”. “Businesses will suffer a severe loss in sales and they already have millions of dollars in inventory in their stores. We can’t afford to lose any more Idaho business and this will certainly cost us many jobs in the recreation and retail sectors,” she added. “While other states are affected, it is especially harmful to those of us in Idaho. We have the second highest OHV participation rate in the nation with over 180,000 OHVs registered and 10,000 more registered every year.”

Public Lands Office, P.O. Box 70001, Boise, Idaho 83707-0101
E-Mail: smitchel@alscott.com
WAXMAN TO IDAHO: RECREATION FAMILIES-LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN HOME
New Consumer Protection Bill Halts the Sale of Children’s Off-Highway Vehicles
For Immediate Release Contact: Sandra Mitchell, 424-3870