Court Enjoins Lamonts Apparel, Inc. From Selling Tris-Treated Children's Clothing

SEATTLE, WASH. (Aug. 30) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that Chief Judge Walter T. McGovern, U.S. District Court for the Western District of the State of Washington, today signed a consent order permanently enjoining Lamonts Apparel, Inc. from further sales of children's wearing apparel which contains the flame-retardant chemical TRIS. The agreement also provides for Lamonts to post a one-year $10,000 bond to ensure compliance with the injunction.

Studies have indicated TRIS to be a potential carcinogen in humans.

The government's complaint filed at the request of CPSC chargeathat Lamonts had been selling children's wearing apparel containing TRIS in violation of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA). Such sales had been observed by Commission investigators as recently as August 13-24 in Lamonts stores located in Seattle, Washington; Kirkland, Washington; Bellevue, Washington; Federal Way, Washington; and Spokane, Washington.

Since August 19 the Commission has obtained injunctions against R.H. Macy & Co., Inc., Zayre Corporation, and Allied Stores Corporation to prevent further sales of Tris-treated children's garments by those stores.

The Commission's enforcement actions follow an order of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued on August 11, 1977, permitting the Commission to enforce a statutory ban of Tris-treated wearing apparel against individual companies found selling the garments. Commission efforts to enforce the TRIS ban had previously ceased as a result of a June 13, 1977, order of the District Court for South Carolina.