Leeman v. Chevalier International (USA) Inc.

On December 12, 2016, citizen enforcer Whitney R. Leeman, Ph.D. and settling party Chevalier International (USA) Inc. (“Chevalier”) entered into an out-of-court settlement agreement.  Leeman had alleged that Chevalier sold dried teas containing the heavy metal lead in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Chevalier agreed not to sell any dried teas in California after December 12, 2016, unless the tea yields “no reportable amount” of lead in either the dried teas or infusions when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies.

The Settlement Agreement requires settlement payments of $29,250, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to citizen enforcer Leeman and her counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.