Leeman v. Lisle Corporation

Citizen enforcer Dr. Whitney R. Leeman and settling party Lisle Corporation (“Lisle”) executed an out-of-court Settlement Agreement on November 12, 2014.  In this matter, Leeman alleged that Lisle sold vinyl/PVC mats, cushions, and headrests containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.  

As part of the agreement, Lisle agreed not to sell any vinyl/PVC mats, cushions, and headrests in California after November 15, 2014, unless the products contain no more than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies or Proposition 65 warnings are provided pursuant to Section 2.2 of the Agreement.  Should Lisle provide written certification that all vinyl/PVC mats, cushions, and headrests sold in California qualify as reformulated by June 30, 2015, Leeman agreed to waive a portion of the civil fine that would otherwise be applied.

The Settlement Agreement required settlement payments of $59,000, 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.