Consumer Safety Panel Powers to Diminish

But the loss of a quorum leaves much work undone. It delays the already slow process of adopting safety standards. It strips the agency of the power to pressure manufacturers to establish voluntary standards faster, consumer advocates said. It also hinders its ability to hold companies accountable for violating consumer protection laws.

For example, there has not been a mandatory recall of the Meerkat 50, an all-terrain vehicle for children that has no front brakes, even though the CPSC issued an unusual public warning in June calling the Meerkat "defective and dangerous," and accusing its maker, Kazuma Pacific, of having "impeded CPSC's efforts to protect the safety of children."

When asked about the Meerkat case, Vallese declined to comment, citing an open investigation.

Consumer advocates criticized the commission for not issuing more civil penalties, especially against companies that sold lead-tainted toys.

"If we are going to hold corporate lawbreakers accountable, we have to impose civil penalties as well as the market penalties they face," said Edmund Mierzwinski, US PIRG's director of consumer programs.

Vallese said the agency's priority is getting dangerous products out of stores. " 'People first' is what we work for. Get the product off the shelf and then we'll look into whether there was some kind of corporate violation for the statutes," she said.

Fines on companies that sold toys with lead are being considered, she said. "You can expect there will be some civil penalties levied for lead violations."