Leeman v. Great Neck Saw Manufacturers, Inc.

On March 28, 2016, citizen enforcer Whitney R. Leeman, Ph.D. and settling party Great Neck Saw Manufacturers, Inc. and its associated corporate affiliates (collectively, “Great Neck”) entered into an out-of-court settlement agreement.  Leeman had alleged that Great Neck sold vinyl/PVC tape containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (“DEHP”) and the heavy metal lead in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Great Neck agreed not to sell any vinyl/PVC tape in California after March 28, 2016, unless the tape contains less than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP, butyl benzyl phthalate (“BBP”), di-n-butyl phthalate (“DBP”), diisodecyl phthalate (“DIDP”), diisononyl phthalate (“DINP”), and di-n-hexyl phthalate (“DnHP”) and less than 100 ppm of lead when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies.

The Settlement Agreement requires settlement payments of $24,000, 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.