Overlawyered: Chronicling The High Cost Of Our Legal System

“New drain-safety law may close some pools”

When compared, at least, with the comprehensively horrendous CPSIA, the other big consumer product safety law that Congress passed last year — the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act — might seem practically uncontroversial. That doesn’t mean it was good legislation, though. [Arizona Republic, Common Room, Coyote]

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3 Comments

  • They had problems getting the parts for some county pools in Montgomery County MD that delayed the opening of the pools.

    Several swimming pools run by the Montgomery County Department of Recreation will not open on Memorial Day weekend as planned due to a delay in obtaining new custom drains and grating. The drain covers are required under a new federal law passed in December 2008 called the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. The law which affects all public swimming pools, requires the installation of anti-entrapment drain covers.

    The Recreation Department has been working diligently with both local and state regulating agencies for more than a year to bring all its pools into compliance. Most pools have been updated and will open as scheduled on May 23. The affected pools needed custom drains and grating which have taken longer to design and manufacture than originally anticipated. Recreation officials hope to have the pools in full operation in coming weeks.

    http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/News/press/PR_details.asp?PrID=5591

  • If this is something that now falls under the jurisdiction of Washington, then the constitutional division of powers between federal and state governments is dead, dead, dead.

    • By Greg

  • Here in Seattle we have the same problem. Ours are closed for the summer. Now instead of going to the neighborhood wading pool folks will be each buying their own giant size piece of “forever” plastic. How many kids will drown in their back yards this year… probably more than the number who would have been injured by their wading pool drains. Very logical. For the children!!

    But hey – they won’t have any neoprene water sandals (illegal now due to lead) or pool toys (illegal now due to pthalates).

    In good news though – my sons class went to an overnight camp where they let 1st graders go on an unbelievably crazy high rope swing! There is hope for our children yet!

    • By Wendy