Leeman v. Rich On, Inc., et al.

On April 29, 2008, the Alameda County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Leeman v. Rich On, Inc., et al., which resolved citizen enforcer Whitney R. Leeman, Ph.D.'s allegations that the defendant Rich On, Inc. ("Rich On") sold cosmetic kits containing the heavy metal lead in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Rich On agreed not to sell any cosmetic kits in California after January 15, 2008, unless the cosmetic kits have Proposition 65 warnings provided or contain no more than .35 parts per million of lead for lipstick and no more than .5 parts per million of lead for any other cosmetic item. Rich On agreed to use its best efforts to ensure that all cosmetic kits sold by Rich On in California after January 1, 2009, shall qualify as reformulated.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $43,900, to be 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.