DiPirro v. Joyce Chen, Inc., et al.

A Consent Judgment in the DiPirro v. Joyce Chen, Inc., et al. matter, heard in the San Francisco County Superior Court, was entered on August 18, 2003. The Consent Judgment resolved citizen enforcer Michael DiPirro's allegations that the defendant Joyce Chen, Inc. sold brass strainers and skimmers containing lead (or lead compounds) in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Joyce agreed not to sell in California products unless such products contain Health Hazard warning labels as prescribed in the Consent Judgment or if the products are reformulated pursuant to Section 1.0 of the Agreement.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $67,800, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to whistleblower DiPirro and his counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.