Brimer v. Aramco Imports, Inc.

On November 20, 2009, the Alameda County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Brimer v. Aramco Imports, Inc., resolving citizen enforcer Russell Brimer's allegations that the defendant Aramco Imports, Inc. ("Aramco") sold mugs with colored artwork or designs containing the heavy metal lead on the exterior in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Aramco agreed not to sell any mugs with colored artwork or designs in California after August 31, 2009, unless the mugs contain no more than 300 parts per million of lead when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $27,000, 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 Brimer and his counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.