The Chanler Group Achieves $2.3 Million in Civil Penalties in 35 Toxic Flame Retardants Cases

Environmental law firm The Chanler Group, on behalf of its clients Peter Englander, John Moore, and Laurence Vinocur, has reached settlements with 35 furniture companies, including IKEA, J.C. Penney and Summer Infant Products, for violations of California’s Proposition 65.  As part of the settlement agreements, the companies have committed to reformulate their products in order to virtually eliminate the presence of the toxic flame retardants TDCPP and TCEP.  Furthermore, the companies have been assessed $2,340,700 in civil penalties, seventy-five percent of which are paid to the State of California to further protect and enhance public health and the environment.

“We’re very proud of our clients’ work,” said Cliff Chanler, founder of The Chanler Group.  “What they’ve done today is going to go a long way toward industry reform to remove these harmful chemicals from our homes and our bodies.”

The settling companies allegedly manufactured and sold common household items such as chairs, child safety seats and benches containing the flame retardant chemicals TDCPP and TCEP, which are known carcinogens, without first providing a consumer warning.  Proposition 65 requires companies offering products for sale in California containing chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm to first provide consumers with a health hazard warning.  The Chanler Group’s clients continue to enforce the statute against dozens of additional furniture companies to ensure Californians’ right to know about harmful toxins in consumer products.

The Chanler Group represents citizen enforcers and whistleblowers to promote awareness of toxic chemicals found in our everyday environment and to enhance the health of the general public by advocating for the removal of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm from consumer products.  For more information, please visit www.chanler.com.