Lowe’s Voluntarily Removing Deadly Paint Strippers From Stores

According to the New York Times, home improvement chain Lowe’s is dropping paint strippers from its stores that have been linked to deaths.

The offending paint strippers, which contain the chemicals NMP and methylene chloride, have been cited as the cause of dozens of accidental deaths in the country. In the final days of the Obama administration, it was concluded that these two chemicals posed risks to consumers and there was a move to ban their use as paint strippers. However, this ban has not yet been enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Lowe’s has voluntarily elected to remove 19 products from its shelves that contain either chemical, which are made under various brand names, and they say they will be completely out of all their store by the end of 2018. This is the first major retailer to remove the products, and their move has been praised by relatives of accident victims and health groups, both of which have been pressuring the EPA to go ahead with the ban.

The relative of one such victim, Brian Wynne, said the move came too late for his brother but may serve to prevent others from being harmed or killed by the products. Wynne’s brother Drew was just 31 when he bought a paint stripper from Lowe’s to remove the paint from his coffee business’ floor in South Carolina. Despite wearing gloves and a respirator, the 31-year-old was overcome by fumes, and his death certificate lists his cause of death as exposure to fumes from the paint thinner.

Recently, the EPA announced that it would move forward with the proposed ban of methylene chloride based on the previous risk assessments. The chemical would still be allowed in commercial refinishing, in settings where companies are better able to ensure safe use.

However, the agency has not addressed its intentions regarding the use of NMP, a solvent that is found in consumer cleaning products, enamels, inks, paints and more. This solvent has been linked to low birth weights and miscarriages among women exposed to it.

Brian Wynne was on hand in early May for a meeting with Scott Pruitt, the EPA’s head at the time, at the agency’s headquarters. The families of two recent victims of methylene chloride were also in attendance. After that meeting, the EPA announced it was planning to send a proposal for a final methylene chloride regulation to the White House for review, after which the EPA could begin implementing the ban.

This is not the first time a major retailer has moved faster than the federal government to stop the sale of products deemed hazards to public health. Target, for example, announced in 2017 that it is moving to only sell beauty, household cleaning and baby products that are free of formaldehyde, butyl-paraben and phthalates, despite there being no bans on these substances in those products.

Harmful products often remain on store shelves for years after a risk to consumer health is discovered. If you’ve been harmed by a dangerous product, speak to an attorney, like a Denver personal injury lawyer, about your rights.

Thanks to our friends and contributors from The Law Office of Richard Banta, P.C. for their insight into personal injury practice.