Leeman v. Beam Suntory Inc.

The parties involved in the case Leeman v. Beam Suntory Inc. executed a Consent Judgment on October 12, 2016.  In this matter, citizen enforcer Whitney R. Leeman, Ph.D., P.E. alleged that Beam Suntory Inc. (“Beam”) sold drinking glasses with exterior designs containing the heavy metal lead in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.  

As part of the agreement, Beam agreed not to sell any drinking glasses with exterior designs in California after the San Francisco County Superior Court enters the Judgment, unless the designs contain no more than 100 parts per million of lead when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies.

The Consent Judgment required settlement payments of up to $57,000, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to whistleblower Leeman and her counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.