Lumber Liquidators has suspended sales of its Chinese-made laminate floor products pending a review of the allegations made by “60 Minutes” about the formaldehyde in the products.
The special committee in charge of the review, composed of "independent directors" and third-party advisors, has confirmed that the Chinese suppliers labeled the products as compliant with California Air Resources Board formaldehyde standards. The committee is “further reviewing the underlying certification and labeling processes and practices of its suppliers,” the company said.
Lumber Liquidators also reported early results from the home air quality test kits it sent for free to concerned homeowners. As of May 1, 97 percent of 3,400 kits from about 2,600 households indicated air concentrations of formaldehyde that were within the guidelines set by the World Health Organization—the chosen guideline, the company said in a statement, because no national standard exists in the United States.
A total of 26,000 testing kits were sent to 15,000 customers, and 11,000 kits were returned to the organization coordinating the testing laboratories, EDLab at Pure Air Control Services Inc.
"Despite the initial positive air quality testing results we have received, we believe it is the right decision to suspend the sale of these products,” said CEO Robert Lynch in a statement. "We will work diligently to meet the needs of our customers and to ensure their satisfaction.”
