A Chemical, a Company, and a Calculated Risk
It can happen in any garage, in any basement workshop across America. Someone wants to restore an old piece of furniture, to strip away the layers of time and paint. They go online, click “buy,” and a few days later a can of powerful chemical remover arrives at their door.
They assume it’s safe. They assume it’s legal.
They have no idea the air they are about to breathe could be their last.
This ain’t no hyperbole btw it’s the reality of a chemical called methylene chloride. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) knows this chemical presents a risk of “acute lethality”. That means the chemical can kill you, quickly and without warning.
That’s why, way back in 2019, the agency banned retailers from selling it to consumers for paint and coating removal. The message was clear: this stuff is too dangerous for the public.
But for LK Technologies, Inc., an Ohio-based corporation also known as The Gordon Glass Company, that message didn’t seem to stick.
A Ban Ignored, A Danger Shipped
For more than two years, between May 2021 and July 2023, LK Technologies operated an e-commerce business that did exactly what the EPA had forbidden.
They sold a product called “Zenex ZenaPower Gel Super Vandalism, Gasket and Paint Remover”. The name itself screams its purpose. And inside the can? Methylene chloride.
On at least four separate occasions, The Gordon Glass Company packaged up this lethal threat and shipped it out, putting it in the hands of everyday consumers. Each sale was a violation of the law and general human safety. Each package sent into the mail was another roll of the dice with someone’s life. And it isn’t like they had some wonky deadline shenanigans where they accidentally missed the deadline neither.
The ban was firmly in place by November 2019. The company’s first documented illegal sale happened a full year and a half after that deadline.
They had to know. Or they simply chose not to. The end result is the same regardless.
How the Danger Unfolded
| Date | Event |
| March 27, 2019 | The EPA finalizes a rule to ban retail sales of methylene chloride for paint removal, citing risks of “acute lethality”. |
| November 22, 2019 | The ban officially goes into effect, making it illegal for retailers to distribute the chemical to consumers for this purpose. |
| May 3, 2021 | LK Technologies begins a pattern of illegal sales, distributing its methylene chloride-based paint remover despite the ban. |
| July 7, 2023 | The company’s last documented illegal sale of the dangerous chemical occurs. |
| August 19, 2025 | The EPA finalizes a settlement with LK Technologies, imposing a civil penalty for the violations. |
The Illusion of Accountability
So, what happens when a company gets caught gambling with public health? The system responded. The EPA investigated and, on August 19, 2025, finalized a Consent Agreement with LK Technologies. The Gordon Glass Company was ordered to pay a civil penalty of $100,000.
One hundred thousand dollars. For a corporation, that can be a rounding error, a simple “cost of doing business.” But the real gut punch is in the fine print. As part of this settlement, LK Technologies “neither admits nor denies the factual allegations”.
Let that sink in. They write a check, but they don’t have to say they did anything wrong. The four illegal sales, the distribution of a lethal chemical, the years spent ignoring a federal ban—all of it is wiped away without a simple admission of guilt. This ain’t justice!!
The Gordon Glass Company gets to walk away, its reputation legally intact, leaving the public to wonder if the business model has truly changed. They’ve been allowed to treat a public health crisis like a parking ticket.
Beyond the Slap on the Wrist
This story isn’t just about LK Technologies in case that’s what you’re thinking. It’s also about the glaring symptom of a much larger disease. It’s about our current day late-stage capitalistic system where online marketplaces can become conduits for banned and dangerous products, flying under the radar of overworked regulators. It’s about a legal framework that allows corporations to buy their way out of accountability, leaving a trail of risk without ever having to face the people they endangered.
The fine paid by LK Technologies won’t bring back anyone who might have been harmed by products like theirs. It’s a number on a balance sheet. It does nothing to address the systemic pressures that put profits ahead of people.
Real change would mean penalties that actually sting, that make executives think twice. It would mean closing the legal loopholes that allow companies to pay a fine without admitting fault, effectively letting them off the hook.
Most importantly, it would mean building a system of oversight, especially for e-commerce, that is proactive, not just reactive. We shouldn’t have to wait for a company to get caught. The danger should never be for sale in the first place.
All factual claims in this article are sourced from the Consent Agreement and Final Order in the matter of LK Technologies, Inc., Docket No. TSCA-05-2025-0026, filed on August 19, 2025.
The company got the receipt of a notice that they received the consent agreement (above PDF) from the EPA that can be found here: https://yosemite.epa.gov/OA/RHC/EPAAdmin.nsf/Filings/9FD1C1B628B73C6485258CEC00171981/$File/TSCA-05-2025-0026_CertificateOfService_LKTechnologiesInc_MapleHeightsOhio.pdf
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