DiPirro v. Michigan Industrial Tool, et al.

The Alameda County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in DiPirro v. Michigan Industrial Tool on December 6, 2001. This enforcement action resolved the allegations of citizen enforcer Michael DiPirro that defendant Michigan Industrial Tool sold certain brass hammers and screwdriver sets that contain lead in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, MIT agreed to, beginning on September 20, 2002, not knowingly ship, or cause to be shipped, any products for use in the State of California unless the products comply with the warning language listed in Section 7(a)(1) or the products are reformulated to be composed of no more than 1.5 percent lead (15,000 parts per million).

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $14,000, 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.