Brimer v. Staples, Inc., et al.

On June 8, 2012, the San Francisco County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Brimer v. Staples, Inc., et al., which resolved citizen enforcer Russell Brimer's allegations that the defendant, Staples, Inc. ("Staples"), sold laptop computer bags containing the heavy metal lead in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Staples agreed not to sell any laptop computer bags in California after February 24, 2012, unless the computer bags contained less than 100 parts per million of lead by weight when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $31,500, 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.