Tanned NJ woman’s salon is fined for overexposure
Jun 13, 2012, 1:00 AM
Associated Press
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – A northern New Jersey tanning salon frequented by a woman accused of taking her 6-year-old daughter into a tanning booth has been fined $5,200 for numerous alleged violations, including overexposure.
Inspectors accused City Tropics Tanning 2 in Nutley of 33 violations, mostly related to one patron who allegedly was permitted 24 tanning sessions in March. Inspectors said the patron _ whose name was not disclosed _ should have been allowed only one session per week.
State Department of Health spokeswoman Donna Leusner said the inspection was based on news coverage of the deeply tanned Patricia Krentcil, who faces a child endangerment charge. But Leusner wouldn’t say whether the patron who was allegedly allowed too many tanning sessions was Krentcil.
The Nutley salon’s owner said he’ll contest the alleged violations found during the May 14 inspection. The salon was also cited for allegedly not using a clean paper towel or cloth to wipe down equipment, for altering a warning statement and tanning authorization form, and for not providing staff training information, among other things.
Salon owner Anthony Ruccatano said he’s never had violations in his eight years of owning tanning salons, and he doesn’t believe he’s been inspected before.
He also said that if tanning is limited to once per week, salons would go out of business.
“You tell a person you can’t tan more than once a week? That’s ridiculous,” Ruccatano said. “We’re barely keeping the doors open now.”
The New Jersey Indoor Tanning Association said in a statement that inspectors misinterpreted the overexposure regulation.
But Leusner said state health regulations require tanning salons to follow manufacturer recommendations for the length and frequency of exposure based on the patron’s skin type.
Krentcil denies wrongdoing. Her case is before a grand jury.
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