Leeman v. The Wise Co., Inc.

The parties involved in the enforcement action Leeman v. The Wise Co., Inc. executed an agreement on August 14, 2014.  In this matter, citizen enforcer Whitney R. Leeman, Ph.D., alleged that the defendant The Wise Co., Inc. (“Wise Co.”) sold seats with vinyl/PVC upholstery containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (“DEHP”) in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings. 

As part of the settlement, Wise Co. agreed not to manufacture or sell any seats with vinyl/PVC upholstery in California after the Santa Clara County Superior Court approves the Consent Judgment, unless the seats contain no more than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP, butyl benzyl phthalate (“BBP”), di-n-butyl phthalate (“DBP”), di-isodecyl phthalate (“DIDP”), and di-n-hexyl phthalate (“DnHP”) when analyzed using state or federally approved testing or have Proposition 65 warnings provided. 

The Consent Judgment requires a total settlement payment of $49,800, 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.