Kellogg's has agreed to stop shipping cereal boxes containing the Spider Man toy dubbed Spidey-Signal into Connecticut, after Attorney General Richard Blumenthal noted the toys contain batteries with mercury.
New Hampshire has also banned the Spiderman toy.
In Westchester County, NY, County Executive Andrew Spano called for a boycott of Kellogg's products after the company rebuffed his request to recall cereals containing the Spidey-Signal toys in New York, even after the company recalled the cereals from stores in Connecticut and New Hampshire when the toys were found to violate laws regulating mercury batteries in those states.
"We've had a major effort to get mercury out of the system," Spano said, referring to laws the county recently enacted banning the sale of mercury thermometers, barometers and thermostats. "It's extremely dangerous to children and to others. It not only can damage you for life, it can kill you."
In Portland, Maine, the Natural Resources Council said there's no way to get rid of the tiny "button" batteries so the mercury in them won't end up in the environment and harm those most vulnerable to the neurotoxin - young children.
"No mercury in kids' cereals," said Jon Hinck, staff attorney for the council. "That's the simple message we have for Kellogg."
Kellogg's denies the toys are dangerous and says they meet safety and environmental standards set by several federal agencies. A spokesman said the cereals were withdrawn in Connecticut and New Hampshire because they ran afoul of what local environmental regulations.
Mercury batteries are a threat to consumers only when a defect causes them to rupture, federal safety officials said.
"Kellogg's decision is a great victory for public health, environmental protection and Spider-Man's good name. Mercury, even in the smallest doses, is highly toxic particularly to children and women of child-bearing age," Blumenthal said.
Connecticut retailers are being asked to return all cereal boxes containing the "Spidey-Signal" toy to Kellogg's.
"Anyone who has already obtained one of these Spidey-Signal toys should dispose of it through their local household hazardous waste system. Once mercury enters the waste stream, it causes harmful pollution to our air and water," Blumenthal said.
The Spider-Man toy can be wrapped around a child's wrist, and projects a web-shaped light. The toy comes with the warning: Battery in toy contains mercury, dispose of properly. The battery is not easily removable and not replaceable.
The toy recently debuted in specially marked Kellogg's's cereal boxes, including Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies, in anticipation of today's Spider-Man 2 movie premiere.
Connecticut's Mercury Reduction Act and the Child Protection Act establish a clear public policy against the use of mercury and other hazardous substances in children's toys.
"No healthy breakfast begins with mercury," Blumenthal said. "Clear, common sense law in Connecticut bans mercury from most consumer products and all children's toys because it is so highly toxic. The health risks are real and immediate, particularly to children, if the batteries are damaged or dismantled, or disposed of improperly."
