Vinocur Settles With Intel Re: DEHP in Earphone Cords

Posted: 01/30/2015  browse the blog archive
Vinocur Settles With Intel Re: DEHP in Earphone Cords

Laurence Vinocur has negotiated a settlement with Intel Corporation regarding allegations that the company offered for sale earphones with cords containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) without the requisite health hazard warning.  DEHP is known to the State of California to cause birth defects and/or reproductive harm and under Proposition 65 law, companies products for sale that contain such chemicals must provide consumers with a “clear and reasonable” warning of the risks of exposure.

In addition to civil penalties, Intel has agreed to reformulate the earphone cords to be virtually free of DEHP.  Vinocur agreed to waive a portion of the penalties if Intel extends the breadth of the reformulation to include other phthalate chemicals: BBP, DBP, DIDP, DINP, and DnHP.

For more details, please see the case summary on our website: Vinocur v. Intel Corporation

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.