Held v. Crew Knitwear, Inc.

On November 16, 2011, citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E. and settling defendant Crew Knitwear, Inc. ("Crew Knitwear"), entered into an out-of-court Settlement Agreement, which resolved Held's allegations that Crew Knitwear 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, Crew Knitwear agreed not to sell any belts in California after November 15, 2011, unless the belts contain less than 0.1 percent (1,000 parts per million) of DEHP when analyzed using state and federally approved testing methodologies or carry Proposition 65 warnings pursuant to Section 2.2 of the Settlement Agreement. Due to Crew Knitwear's commitment to comply by these heightened standards, Held agreed to credit a portion of the civil fine that would otherwise be applied.

The Settlement Agreement requires settlement payments of $22,250, 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.