Brimer v. Robert Bosch Tool Corporation

The parties involved in the case Brimer v. Robert Bosch Tool Corporation executed a Consent Judgment on March 28, 2013, which resolved citizen enforcer Russell Brimer’s allegations that the defendant Robert Bosch Tool Corporation (“Robert Bosch”) sold measuring wheels containing the heavy metal lead in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings. 

As part of the settlement, Robert Bosch agreed not to sell any measuring wheels in California after November 1, 2013, unless the wheels contain less than 100 parts per million of lead when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies or have Proposition 65 warnings provided.  Should Robert Bosch eliminate the need for Proposition 65 warnings for the measuring wheels by April 15, 2014, Brimer agreed to waive a portion of the civil fine that would otherwise be applied.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $56,000, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to whistleblower Brimer and his counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.