SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board (ARB) today announced a settlement agreement of over $17,000 with Allou Health and Beauty Care, Inc. of Delaware, for the sale of hair spray that violated the state's air rules.

        ARB Chairman John Dunlap said, "When faced with the challenge of clearing California's skies of air pollution, consumer products individually contribute very little, but when we take these products as a whole they add tons of air pollutants to our air each day."

        The settlement stems from investigations that took place in 1994 and 1995, when ARB inspectors found at two Sacramento area Price Club stores, the sale of Allou's hair spray products that exceeded state limits for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs react in the atmosphere to form ground-level ozone, the major component of smog.

        ARB inspectors found containers of Sebastian and Redken hair spray products that exceeded state standards, which limit hair spray products to no more than 80 percent VOC content. In addition, ARB inspectors found that there were hundreds more listed on Allou's invoices to Price Club.

        Allou Inc. agreed not to sell in California any consumer products that violate state air regulations. As part of the settlement agreement, Allou will pay the full settlement amount of $17,500 to the ARB.

        Last July the ARB adopted new standards for 18 categories of consumer products that include more than 3,000 individual products. These include auto wax, rubbing and polishing compounds, carpet and upholstery cleaners, floor wax strippers and spot removers. As the new regulations are phased in through 2005, emissions from these products will be reduced by about 16 tons per day.