60 Day Notice 2024-00549

Withdraw Notice Add a Complaint Add a Settlement Add a Judgment

AG Number: 
2024-00549
Notice PDF: 
PDF icon 2024-00549.pdf
Date Filed: 
02/02/2024
Noticing Party: 
Environmental Research Center, Inc.
Plaintiff Attorney: 
Michael Freund & Associates
Alleged Violators: 
PacificNorthwest Naturals LLC, individually and dba The Genius Brand
Catalyst Nutraceuticals, LLC
Chemicals: 
Lead and lead compounds
Source: 
Dietary supplements

60-Day Notice Document

Civil Complaint
AG Number:
2024-00549
Complaint PDF: 
PDF icon 2024-00549C9311.pdf
Date Filed:
12/23/2024
Case Name: 
Environmental Reserach Center, Inc. vs. PacificNorthwest
Court Name: 
Alameda County Superior Court
Court Docket Number: 
24CV098082
Plaintiff: 
Environmental Research Center, Inc.
Plaintiff Attorney: 
Michael Freund
Defendant: 
Pacific Northwest Naturals LLC dba The Genius Brand; Catalyst Nutraceuticals, LLC
Type of Claim: 
Failure to Warn
Relief Sought: 
Warning
Civil Penalty
Contact Name: 
Michael Freund
Contact Organization: 
Michael Freund & Associates
Email Address:
freund1@aol.com
Address: 
1919 Addison Street, Suite 104
City, State, Zip:
BERKELEY, CA 94704
Phone Number:
(510) 499-1992
Comments: 
Also includes AG Nos. 2024-03191 and 2024-04300.
Civil Complaint
AG Number:
2024-00549
Complaint PDF: 
PDF icon 2024-00549C9178.pdf
Date Filed:
11/01/2024
Case Name: 
Environmental Research Center vs. PacificNorthwest Naturals
Court Name: 
Alameda County Superior Court
Court Docket Number: 
24CV098082
Plaintiff: 
Environmental Research Center, Inc.
Plaintiff Attorney: 
Michael Freund & Associates
Defendant: 
PacificNorthwest Naturals LLC, individually and dba The Genius Brand
Catalyst Nutraceuticals, LLC
Type of Claim: 
Failure to Warn
Relief Sought: 
Warning
Civil Penalty
Injunctive and Declaratory Relief
Contact Name: 
Michael Bruce Freund
Contact Organization: 
Michael Freund & Associates
Email Address:
myra.heptinstall@erc501c3.org
Address: 
1919 Addison St Ste 104
City, State, Zip:
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone Number:
(510) 499-1992
Comments: 
This Complaint also includes AG Number 2024-03191.
Supplemental Settlement
AG Number:
2024-00549
Settlement PDF: 
PDF icon 2024-00549S5888.pdf
Settlement Date:
09/03/2025
Case Name: 
Environmental Research Center, Inc. vs. PacificNorthwest
Court Name: 
Alameda County Superior Court
Court Docket Number: 
24CV098092
Plaintiff: 
Environmental Research Center, Inc.
Plaintiff Attorney: 
Michael Freund & Associates
Defendant: 
PacificNorthwest Naturals LLC, individually and dba The Genius Brand
Injunctive Relief: 
Beginning on the Compliance Date, The Genius Brand shall be permanently enjoined from manufacturing for sale in the State of California, “Distributing into the State of California,” or directly selling in the State of California, any Covered Product that exposes a person to a “Daily Lead Exposure Level” of more than 0.5 micrograms of lead per day and, with respect to the PFOA Covered Product only, any detectible level of PFOA unless it meets the warning requirements under Section 3.2.
*Non-Contingent Civil Penalty:
$ 16,000.00
Attorney(s) Fees and Costs:
$ 98,219.00
Payment in Lieu of Penalty:
$ 10,781.00  (Amounts rounded: Actual amounts: $16,000 Civil Penalty, $98, 218.90 Attorney's fees and costs and $10, 781.10 ASP; 4.4 $10,781.10 shall be distributed to ERC as an Additional Settlement Payment (“ASP”), which shall be subject to the Court’s ongoing judicial oversight pursuant to California Code of Regulations, title 11, section 3204. ERC will utilize the ASP for activities that address the same public harm as allegedly caused by Defendant in this matter. These activities are detailed below and support ERC’s overarching goal of reducing and/or eliminating hazardous and toxic chemicals in dietary supplement products in California. ERC’s activities have had, and will continue to have, a direct and primary effect within the State of California because California consumers will be benefitted by the reduction and/or elimination of exposure to lead in dietary supplements and/or by providing clear and reasonable warnings to California consumers prior to ingestion of the products. Based on a review of past years’ actual budgets, ERC is providing the following list of activities ERC engages in to protect California consumers through Proposition 65 citizen enforcement, along with a breakdown of how ASP funds will be utilized to facilitate those activities: (1) ENFORCEMENT (up to 65-80%): obtaining, shipping, analyzing, and testing dietary supplement products that may contain lead and are sold to California consumers. This work includes continued monitoring and enforcement of past consent judgments and settlements to ensure companies are in compliance with their obligations thereunder, with a specific focus on those judgments and settlements concerning lead. This work also includes investigation of new companies that ERC does not obtain any recovery through settlement or judgment; (2) VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE PROGRAM (up to 10-20%): maintaining ERC’s Voluntary Compliance Program by acquiring products from companies, developing and maintaining a case file, testing products from these companies, providing the test results and supporting documentation to the companies, and offering guidance in warning or implementing a self-testing program for lead in dietary supplement products; and (3) “GOT LEAD” PROGRAM (up to 5%): maintaining ERC’s “Got Lead?” Program which reduces the numbers of contaminated products that reach California consumers by providing access to free testing for lead in dietary supplement products (Products submitted to the program are screened for ingredients which are suspected to be contaminated, and then may be purchased by ERC, catalogued, sent to a qualified laboratory for testing, and the results shared with the consumer that submitted the product). ERC shall be fully accountable in that it will maintain adequate records to document and will be able to demonstrate how the ASP funds will be spent and can assure that the funds are being spent only for the proper, designated purposes described in this Consent Judgment. ERC shall provide the Attorney General, within thirty days of any request, copies of documentation demonstrating how such funds have been spent.)
Total Payments:
$ 125,000.00
Will settlement be submitted to court?
Yes
Contact Name: 
Michael Freund
Contact Organization: 
Michael Freund & Associates
Email Address:
myra.heptinstall@erc501c3.org
Address: 
1919 Addison Street, Suite 104
City, State, Zip:
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone Number:
(510) 499-1992
Comments: 
This Second Amended Settlement also includes AG numbers 2024-03191, 2024-04300, and 2025-00612.
Supplemental Settlement
AG Number:
2024-00549
Settlement PDF: 
PDF icon 2024-00549S5410.pdf
Settlement Date:
05/29/2025
Case Name: 
Environmental Reserach Center, Inc. vs. PacificNorthwest
Court Name: 
Alameda County Superior Court
Court Docket Number: 
24CV098092
Plaintiff: 
Environmental Research Center, Inc.
Plaintiff Attorney: 
Michael Freund
Defendant: 
Pacific Northwest Naturals LLC, dba The Genius Brand
Injunctive Relief: 
Beginning on the Compliance Date, The Genius Brand shall be permanently enjoined from manufacturing for sale in the State of California, "Distributing into the State of California," or directly selling in the State of California, any Covered Product that exposes a person to a "Daily Lead Exposure Level" of more than 0.5 micrograms of lead per day and, with respect to the PFOA Covered Product only, any detectable level of PFOA unless it meets the warning requirements under Section 3.2.
*Non-Contingent Civil Penalty:
$ 16,000.00
Attorney(s) Fees and Costs:
$ 91,052.00
Payment in Lieu of Penalty:
$ 17,948.00  (Reimbursement of ERC's reasonable costs in the amount of $7,166.44. $10,781.10 shall be distributed to ERC as an Additional Settlement Payment (“ASP”), which shall be subject to the Court’s ongoing judicial oversight pursuant to California Code of Regulations, title 11, section 3204. ERC will utilize the ASP For activities that address the same public harm as allegedly caused by Defendant in this matter. These activities are detailed below and support ERC’s overarching goal of reducing and/or eliminating hazardous and toxic chemicals in dietary supplement products in California. ERC’s activities have had, and will continue to have, a direct and primary effect within the State of California because California consumers will be benefitted by the reduction and/or elimination of exposure to lead and/or mercury and/or PFOA in dietary supplements and/or by providing clear and reasonable warnings to California consumers prior to ingestion of the products. Based on a review of past years’ actual budgets, ERC is providing the following list of activities ERC engages in to protect California consumers through Proposition 65 citizen enforcement, along with a breakdown of how ASP funds will be utilized to facilitate those activities: (1) ENFORCEMENT (up to 65-80%): obtaining, shipping, analyzing, and testing dietary supplement products that may contain lead and/or mercury and/or PFOA and are sold to California consumers. This work includes continued monitoring and enforcement of past consent judgments and settlements to ensure companies are in compliance with their obligations thereunder, with a specific focus on those judgments and settlements concerning lead and/or mercury and/or PFOA. This work also includes investigation of new companies that ERC does not obtain any recovery through settlement or judgment; (2) VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE PROGRAM (up to 10-20%): maintaining ERC’s Voluntary Compliance Program by acquiring products from companies, developing and maintaining a case file, testing products from these companies, providing the test results and supporting documentation to the companies, and offering guidance in warning or implementing a self-testing program for lead and/or mercury and/or PFOA in dietary supplement products; and (3) “GOT LEAD” PROGRAM (up to 5%) maintaining ERC’s “Got Lead?” Program which reduces the numbers of contaminated products that reach California consumers by providing access to free testing for lead in dietary supplement products (Products submitting to the program are screened for ingredients which are suspected to be contaminated, and then may be purchased by ERC, catalogued, sent to a qualified laboratory for testing, and the results shared with the consumer that submitted the product). ERC shall be fully accountable in that it will maintain adequate records to document and will be able to demonstrate how ASP funds will be spent and can assured that the funds are being spent only for the proper, designated purposes described in this Consent Judgment . ERC shall provide the Attorney General, within thirty days of any request, copies of documentation demonstrating how such funds have been spent. )
Total Payments:
$ 125,000.00
Will settlement be submitted to court?
Yes
Contact Name: 
Michael Freund
Contact Organization: 
Michael Freund & Associates
Email Address:
freund1@aol.com
Address: 
1919 Addison Street, Suite 104
City, State, Zip:
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone Number:
(510) 499-1992
Comments: 
Also includes AG Nos. 2024-03181 and 2024-04300.
Settlement
AG Number:
2024-00549
Settlement PDF: 
PDF icon 2024-00549S5364.pdf
Settlement Date:
05/21/2025
Case Name: 
Environmental Reserach Center, Inc. vs. PacificNorthwest
Court Name: 
Alameda County Superior Court
Court Docket Number: 
24CV098082
Plaintiff: 
Environmental Research Center, Inc.
Plaintiff Attorney: 
Michael Freund
Defendant: 
Pacific Northwest Naturals LLC dba The Genius Brand
Injunctive Relief: 
Beginning on the Compliance Date, The Genius Brand shall be permanently enjoined from manufacturing for sale in the State of California, "Distributing into the State of California," or directly selling in the State of California, any Covered Product that exposes a person to a "Daily Lead Exposure Level" of more than 0.5 micrograms of lead per day and, with respect to the PFOA Covered Product only, any detectable level of PFOA unless it meets the warning requirements under Section 3.2.
*Non-Contingent Civil Penalty:
$ 16,000.00
Attorney(s) Fees and Costs:
$ 91,052.00
Payment in Lieu of Penalty:
$ 17,948.00  (Reimbursement of ERC's reasonable costs in the amount of $7,166.44. $10,781.10 shall be distributed to ERC as an Additional Settlement Payment (“ASP”), which shall be subject to the Court’s ongoing judicial oversight pursuant to California Code of Regulations, title 11, section 3204. ERC will utilize the ASP For activities that address the same public harm as allegedly caused by Defendant in this matter. These activities are detailed below and support ERC’s overarching goal of reducing and/or eliminating hazardous and toxic chemicals in dietary supplement products in California. ERC’s activities have had, and will continue to have, a direct and primary effect within the State of California because California consumers will be benefitted by the reduction and/or elimination of exposure to lead and/or mercury and/or PFOA in dietary supplements and/or by providing clear and reasonable warnings to California consumers prior to ingestion of the products. Based on a review of past years’ actual budgets, ERC is providing the following list of activities ERC engages in to protect California consumers through Proposition 65 citizen enforcement, along with a breakdown of how ASP funds will be utilized to facilitate those activities: (1) ENFORCEMENT (up to 65-80%): obtaining, shipping, analyzing, and testing dietary supplement products that may contain lead and/or mercury and/or PFOA and are sold to California consumers. This work includes continued monitoring and enforcement of past consent judgments and settlements to ensure companies are in compliance with their obligations thereunder, with a specific focus on those judgments and settlements concerning lead and/or mercury and/or PFOA. This work also includes investigation of new companies that ERC does not obtain any recovery through settlement or judgment; (2) VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE PROGRAM (up to 10-20%): maintaining ERC’s Voluntary Compliance Program by acquiring products from companies, developing and maintaining a case file, testing products from these companies, providing the test results and supporting documentation to the companies, and offering guidance in warning or implementing a self-testing program for lead and/or mercury and/or PFOA in dietary supplement products; and (3) “GOT LEAD” PROGRAM (up to 5%) maintaining ERC’s “Got Lead?” Program which reduces the numbers of contaminated products that reach California consumers by providing access to free testing for lead in dietary supplement products (Products submitting to the program are screened for ingredients which are suspected to be contaminated, and then may be purchased by ERC, catalogued, sent to a qualified laboratory for testing, and the results shared with the consumer that submitted the product). ERC shall be fully accountable in that it will maintain adequate records to document and will be able to demonstrate how ASP funds will be spent and can assured that the funds are being spent only for the proper, designated purposes described in this Consent Judgment . ERC shall provide the Attorney General, within thirty days of any request, copies of documentation demonstrating how such funds have been spent. )
Total Payments:
$ 125,000.00
Will settlement be submitted to court?
Yes
Contact Name: 
Michael Freund
Contact Organization: 
Michael Freund & Associates
Email Address:
freund1@aol.com
Address: 
1919 Addison Street, Suite 104
City, State, Zip:
BERKELEY, CA 94704
Phone Number:
(510) 499-1992
Comments: 
Also includes AG Nos. 2024-03191, 2024-04300 and 2025-00612.
Supplemental Judgment
AG Number:
2024-00549
Judgment PDF: 
PDF icon 2024-00549J5663.pdf
Judgment Date:
09/03/2025
Settlement reported to AG: 
Wed, 09/03/2025
Case Name: 
Environmental Research Center, Inc. vs. PacificNorthwest
Court Name: 
Alameda County Superior Court
Court Docket Number: 
24CV098092
Plaintiff: 
Environmental Research Center, Inc.
Plaintiff Attorney: 
Michael Freund & Associates
Defendant: 
PacificNorthwest Naturals LLC, individually and dba The Genius Brand
Injunctive Relief: 
Beginning on the Compliance Date, The Genius Brand shall be permanently enjoined from manufacturing for sale in the State of California, “Distributing into the State of California,” or directly selling in the State of California, any Covered Product that exposes a person to a “Daily Lead Exposure Level” of more than 0.5 micrograms of lead per day and, with respect to the PFOA Covered Product only, any detectible level of PFOA unless it meets the warning requirements under Section 3.2.
*Non-Contingent Civil Penalty:
$ 16,000.00
Attorney(s) Fees and Costs:
$ 98,219.00
Payment in Lieu of Penalty:
$ 10,781.00  (Amounts rounded: Actual amounts: $16,000 Civil Penalty, $98, 218.90 Attorney's fees and costs and $10, 781.10 ASP; 4.4 $10,781.10 shall be distributed to ERC as an Additional Settlement Payment (“ASP”), which shall be subject to the Court’s ongoing judicial oversight pursuant to California Code of Regulations, title 11, section 3204. ERC will utilize the ASP for activities that address the same public harm as allegedly caused by Defendant in this matter. These activities are detailed below and support ERC’s overarching goal of reducing and/or eliminating hazardous and toxic chemicals in dietary supplement products in California. ERC’s activities have had, and will continue to have, a direct and primary effect within the State of California because California consumers will be benefitted by the reduction and/or elimination of exposure to lead in dietary supplements and/or by providing clear and reasonable warnings to California consumers prior to ingestion of the products. Based on a review of past years’ actual budgets, ERC is providing the following list of activities ERC engages in to protect California consumers through Proposition 65 citizen enforcement, along with a breakdown of how ASP funds will be utilized to facilitate those activities: (1) ENFORCEMENT (up to 65-80%): obtaining, shipping, analyzing, and testing dietary supplement products that may contain lead and are sold to California consumers. This work includes continued monitoring and enforcement of past consent judgments and settlements to ensure companies are in compliance with their obligations thereunder, with a specific focus on those judgments and settlements concerning lead. This work also includes investigation of new companies that ERC does not obtain any recovery through settlement or judgment; (2) VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE PROGRAM (up to 10-20%): maintaining ERC’s Voluntary Compliance Program by acquiring products from companies, developing and maintaining a case file, testing products from these companies, providing the test results and supporting documentation to the companies, and offering guidance in warning or implementing a self-testing program for lead in dietary supplement products; and (3) “GOT LEAD” PROGRAM (up to 5%): maintaining ERC’s “Got Lead?” Program which reduces the numbers of contaminated products that reach California consumers by providing access to free testing for lead in dietary supplement products (Products submitted to the program are screened for ingredients which are suspected to be contaminated, and then may be purchased by ERC, catalogued, sent to a qualified laboratory for testing, and the results shared with the consumer that submitted the product). ERC shall be fully accountable in that it will maintain adequate records to document and will be able to demonstrate how the ASP funds will be spent and can assure that the funds are being spent only for the proper, designated purposes described in this Consent Judgment. ERC shall provide the Attorney General, within thirty days of any request, copies of documentation demonstrating how such funds have been spent.))
Total Payments:
$ 125,000.00
Is Judgment Pursuant to Settlement?
Yes
Contact Name: 
Michael Freund
Contact Organization: 
Michael Freund & Associates
Email Address:
myra.heptinstall@erc501c3.org
Address: 
1919 Addison Street, Suite 104
City, State, Zip:
Berkeley, CA 94704
Phone Number:
(510) 499-1992

* A non-contingent civil penalty is the civil penalty that must be paid pursuant to the settlement, regardless of future events or actions of the defendant. If a settlement includes a contingent penalty, the plaintiff should report the additional penalty amount when it becomes due.