DiPirro v. American Honda Motor Co., et al.

Michael DiPirro and American Honda Motor Co. reached a settlement on December 19, 2001, in DiPirro v. American Honda Motor Co., et al., which resolved citizen enforcer DiPirro's allegations that the defendant American Honda and certain Honda dealers sold touch-up paint containing the solvent toluene in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, American Honda agreed to provide a clear and reasonable warning on all touch-up paint containing toluene shipped to California, and agreed not to ship to California any touch-up paint containing toluene or any other toxic chemicals unless the product label identified the presence of any toxic chemical present in excess of six percent of the weight of the product.

The Consent Judgment required payments of $24,000, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which were paid to California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and the remainder as compensation to whistleblower DiPirro and his counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.