Lumber Liquidators Pulls Toxic Flooring

Hardwood-flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators has pulled Chinese-made laminate flooring from its stores, just months after 60 Minutes accused the company of selling a product that’s been shown to have unsafe levels of formaldehyde. The damning report found that some samples had more than 13 times the legal limit for sale. Mild exposure to formaldehyde can cause irritation, while severe exposure can cause myeloid leukemia and nasopharyngeal cancer. “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. The company now says it’s reviewing the products’ certification procedures, though it said 97 percent of air-quality test kits returned by customers were safe. The company faces more than 100 class-action lawsuits over its products.