DiPirro v. Hillman Group, Inc., et al.

Citizen enforcer Michael DiPirro and settling party Hillman Group, Inc. entered into a settlement agreement on April 28, 2000, which resolved DiPirro's allegations that Hillman Group sold anchoring products containing the heavy metal lead in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Hillman Group agreed to place Proposition 65 health hazard warnings on the anchoring products.  Should Hillman Group provide written certification that it had reformulated the anchoring products so that they are lead-free, DiPirro agreed to waive a portion of the civil fine.

The Settlment Agreement required settlement payments of $71,800, to be divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are 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.