Dr. Held Reaches Agreement with Sunscreen Manufacturer Re: Benzophenone

Posted: 08/04/2014  browse the blog archive
Dr. Held Reaches Agreement with Sunscreen Manufacturer Re: Benzophenone

TCG client Dr. Anthony Held has reached a settlement agreement with Chattem, Inc. in regards to benzophenone, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer, allegedly found in sunscreen manufactured, imported, sold, and/or distributed by Chattem.  Under California’s Proposition 65 law, companies selling products in California that contain such toxic chemicals must provide consumers with a health hazard warning; Held alleged that Chattem violated Proposition 65 by not providing such warnings with its sunscreen.

Chattem has agreed to pay $9,000 in civil penalties, three-quarters of which will go to the State of California to benefit public health and the environment, and will also reformulate its sunscreen to no longer contain detectable amounts of benzophenone.

For more information, see the case summary of Held v. Chattem, Inc.

The Chanler Group represents citizen enforcers who, acting in the public interest, commence actions against businesses offering products for sale in California that contain chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm without first providing the health hazard warning required by Proposition 65. Citizen enforcers bringing Proposition 65 actions in the public interest may obtain a Court Judgment imposing civil penalties, an injunction requiring reformulation of products, and/or provision of health hazard warnings. The Chanler Group has represented citizen enforcers of Proposition 65 for more than twenty years.