Leeman v. Starwest Botanicals, Inc,

On April 14, 2017, citizen enforcer Whitney R. Leeman, Ph.D. and settling party Starwest Botanicals, Inc. (“Starwest”) entered into an out-of-court settlement agreement.  Leeman had alleged that Starwest sold dried teas (loose leaf and bagged) containing the heavy metal lead in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Starwest agreed not to sell any dried teas in California after April 14, 2017, unless the tea is virtually free of lead when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies OR has Proposition 65 warnings provided.

The Settlement Agreement requires settlement payments of $20,000, 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.