Held v. Dollar Empire, LLC

On May 12, 2009, citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E. and settling defendant Dollar Empire, LLC (“Dollar Empire”) entered into an out-of-court Settlement Agreement, which resolved Held’s allegations that Dollar Empire sold children’s wear with vinyl components 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, Dollar Empire agreed to recall the specific jacket identified in the Settlement Agreement.  Additionally, Dollar Empire also agreed to place Proposition 65 health hazard warnings on the children’s wear it does not recall.

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.