posted on May 16, 2014
Discount School Supply has issued a recall of its Excellerations™ magnetic color sorting boards. The magnet in the wand can detach and the plywood backing can crack to release small metal balls. Swallowing a magnet and/or a metal ball poses a serious choking and internal injury risk. The surface paint on the metal balls also contains levels of lead in excess of the federal lead paint standard. The boards were sold through discountschoolsupply.com from January 2013... full text
posted on May 15, 2014
California Assemblyman Brian Jones (R-Santee) has introduced AB-2361, which proposes a 14-day cure period for small businesses that have been served with a 60-Day Notice of Violation of Proposition 65. If the business has fewer than 25 employees, they can avoid a lawsuit so long as they cure the alleged violation (such as putting up a warning sign, or removing the offending product from shelves) and pay a $500 fine within 14 days.
This is similar to last year’s AB-227, which... full text
posted on May 7, 2014
Peter Englander and Dr. Anthony Held, two clients of The Chanler Group, negotiated an agreement with Z Gallerie last month to ensure that Z Gallerie’s chairs are free of the carcinogenic flame retardant tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) and reproductive toxicant di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (“DEHP”). The chairs were sold throughout California.
The plaintiffs alleged that Z Gallerie violated Proposition 65 by selling chairs that contain TDCPP and/or DEHP in... full text
posted on May 1, 2014
TCG clients Russell Brimer, Dr. Whitney Leeman, Dr. Anthony Held, and Laurence Vinocur served 23 new 60-Day Notices of Proposition 65 Violation yesterday, to companies offering products such as hand tools, bags, and photo frames for sale in California that contain chemicals known to cause cancer and reproductive harm, without the required health hazard warning. These citizen enforcers allege that the companies' products contain the phthalate DEHP, the heavy metals lead and arsenic, and... full text
posted on April 30, 2014
Anthony Held, Ph.D, P.E., a client of The Chanler Group, has filed a lawsuit against JFC International, Inc. (JFC) for violations of Proposition 65: namely, failing to inform California consumers that their dried seaweed contains arsenic, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer.
JFC is a major wholesaler and distributor of Asian food products and is a subsidiary of Kikkoman.
Held seeks injunctive relief against JFC in the form of civil penalties, appropriate warnings, and... full text
posted on April 29, 2014
The Chanler Group was fortunate enough to be able to interview Kirby Walker, a director/producer of the documentary film Toxic Hot Seat. This documentary reveals the truth about toxic flame retardants in our furniture, how they arrived there, and why they remain despite advocacy and legislative efforts. Kirby Walker is an environmentalist, activist, and award-winning independent film and video producer.
Before we even started, Kirby jumped in with a little background on the funding... full text
posted on April 23, 2014
More than 70 furniture manufacturers have certified to The Chanler Group that their products sold in California have been reformulated to remove detectable amounts of the carcinogenic flame retardants tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP). These certifications encompass a wide range of home and office furniture, including car seats, high chairs, ottomans, and office chairs.
Under Proposition 65, California’s right-to-know toxics law,... full text
posted on April 17, 2014
TCG clients Russell Brimer, Dr. Whitney Leeman, Dr. Anthony Held, Mark Moorberg, Laurence Vinocur, and Paul Wozniak served over 30 new 60-Day Notices of Proposition 65 Violation yesterday, to companies offering products such as sunscreen, hardware, and children's purses for sale in California that contain chemicals known to cause cancer and reproductive harm, without the required health hazard warning. These citizen enforcers allege that the companies' products contain the... full text
posted on April 16, 2014
Lowe’s Home Centers, one of the nation’s largest home improvement retailers, has agreed to implement a corporate-wide compliance program at more than 1,700 stores nationwide to ensure its contractors minimize lead dust from home renovation activities, as required by the federal Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today. The company will also pay a $500,000 civil penalty,... full text
posted on April 8, 2014
Dr. Anthony Held, a client of The Chanler Group, negotiated an agreement with Four Seasons General Merchandise in February to ensure that its bowls are free of the toxic metal lead.
Held alleged that Four Seasons violated Proposition 65 by selling bowls that contain lead in California without providing a health hazard warning. Under Proposition 65, companies offering products for sale in California that contain chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm must provide a... full text
