Held v. American Apparel Global Corporation

On September 7, 2011, citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E. and settling defendant American Apparel Global Corporation ("American Apparel"), entered into an out-of-court Settlement Agreement, which resolved Held's allegations that American Apparel sold belts containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ("DEHP") in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, American Apparel agreed not sell any belts in California after September 15, 2011, unless the belts contain less than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP when analyzed using federal and state approved testing methodologies.

The Settlement Agreement requires settlement payments of $18,000, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to whistleblower Held and his counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.