DiPirro v. GC Thornsen, Inc., et al.

On July 13, 1999, citizen enforcer Michael DiPirro and settling defendant GC Thornsen, Inc. a.k.a. GC Electronics, reached and executed a settlement agreement which resolved citizen enforcer Michael DiPirro's allegations that GC sold adhesives, coatings, specialty chemicals, solder, soldering wire and flux, soldering guns, irons and torches, and other electronic accessories containing toluene, methyl chloride, lead or lead compounds, or formaldehyde in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

The terms of the parties' settlement required GC to revise the labels or packaging labels for the products that were in its immediate possession to provide specific and prominent health hazard warnings. Further, beginning 60 days after the effective date of the settlement agreement, GC agreed not to ship for sale or distribute any of its products unless the product labeling contained a warning of the harms associated with the exposure to the chemicals contained in the products.

The settlement requires settlement payments of $90,000, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to whistleblower Michael DiPirro and his counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.