Lead Case Targets Disney Attractions

M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e is getting s-u-e-d over l-e-a-d.

Why? Because he is allegedly contaminating small, unsuspecting visitors to Disneyland, the “Happiest Place on Earth,” with the toxic substance.

‘Excessive Levels of Lead’

That is the allegation by the Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation, which has gone to court seeking to force the Disney company to post warning signs about the lead or to cover lead-laced surfaces throughout the 56-year-old theme park in Anaheim, CA.

The nonprofit filed suit in April against Walt Disney Parks & Resorts U.S. Inc., alleging that attractions and locations throughout the park are riddled with lead.

The suit, filed in California Superior Court - Orange County, alleges "excessive levels of lead in such commonly touched objects as the Sword in the Stone attraction," along with brass door knobs at Minnie’s House, stained-glass windows in a door at the entrance to a beauty salon in Cinderella’s Castle,” and other locations.

Injunction Sought

On Friday (Oct. 21), the group filed for an injunction seeking to compel the company to comply with the state’s toxic-chemical notification law. That motion is scheduled for a hearing Nov. 22.

“We are asking the court to force Disney to take steps that should have been taken when we first told them that children at Disneyland are in danger of illegal lead exposures," Mateel president William Verick said in a statement.

In 2010 and 2011, Mateel and the nonprofit Ecological Rights Foundation had individuals conduct "wipe testing" of various surfaces at Disneyland. An independent lab analyzed the test wipes using a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health protocol, Mateel said.

‘Dozens’ of Locations

“During several visits to Disneyland beginning in June 2010, we found accessible lead at exposures above California safety standards in dozens of objects throughout the park,” Mateel reported. “Under the law, consumers must be warned of lead exposures of more than 0.5 micrograms per day.”

Tested locations showed up to 1,300 micrograms of lead exposure, the group said.

Mateel says it sent two legal notices to Disney, alerting the company to California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (known as Prop 65), which requires “clear and reasonable” notification of consumers exposed to chemicals, including lead, known to cause cancer or reproductive harm.

It says the company ignored the notices.

Disney: ‘Full Compliance’

Disney says it is not violating the law. “We have not seen the papers that we are told are being filed, so we cannot comment specifically,” a Disney spokeswoman told the Los Angeles Times. “However, we believe that Disneyland Resort is in full compliance with the signage requirements.”

The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has previously successfully sued Disney over lead in its retail products. Last week, CEH joined Mateel and a third organization at a news briefing about the current suit.

Said CEH Research Director Caroline Cox: “It’s disappointing that a $38 billion company like Disney can’t be bothered to clean up their parks so they’re safe for children.”

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