Held v. Avenues in Leather, Inc., et al.

On November 16, 2012, the Alameda County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Held v. Avenues in Leather, Inc.; et al., which resolved citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E.'s allegations that the defendant Avenues in Leather, Inc. ("Avenues"), sold computer cases containing the phthalate chemicals di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ("DEHP") and/or di-n-butyl phthalate ("DBP") and card files containing DEHP in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Avenues agreed not to sell any computer cases or card files in California after May 31, 2012, unless the cases and files contain no more than 1,000 parts per million (0.1%) of DEHP/DBP when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies. Avenues may sell a computer case or card file in California with Proposition 65 warnings provided if Avenues has determined that no equivalent DEHP-free substitute is reasonably commercially available. Held also agreed to credit Avenues with a portion of the civil fines due to Avenues' commitment to comply with the heightened standards.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $120,000, 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.