Global Community Monitor: Lumber Liquidators flooring emits hazardous levels of formaldehyde

[Oakland, Calif.] In the latest environmental black eye for Lumber Liquidators, independent lab tests show that Chinese-made flooring sold by the chain emits formaldehyde at levels far above the level requiring cancer warnings under California law, according to a lawsuit filed by Global Community Monitor and in a release from PR Newswire.

According to the release, Lumber Liquidators claims on its website that all of its flooring comes from mills certified as compliant with California's standards for formaldehyde. Plaintiffs conducted more than 50 tests of Lumber Liquidators' Chinese-made laminate flooring, using a variety of different testing methods and sample batches. Test results showed average initial formaldehyde exposures over 100 times above the amount allowed to be sold without a warning label under Proposition 65, California's main toxics law.

Proposition 65 requires products containing chemicals that cause cancer to carry a warning label if the levels exceed the so-called “safe harbor” level. But none of the Lumber Liquidators samples tested had a warning label on the box, none of the stores where samples were purchased had a Proposition 65 warning, and no warnings were provided at the time of purchase over the internet.

“The levels of formaldehyde our tests found in Lumber Liquidators' laminate flooring are astounding and alarming,” said Denny Larson, executive director of Global Community Monitor. “It’s unconscionable that Lumber Liquidators would sell this product to customers to install in their homes without informing families of the potential health risks involved, especially since they make a point of bragging about how environmentally safe it is.”