Held v. Dorfman-Pacific Co.

On March 9, 2012, citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E. and settling defendant Dorfman-Pacific Co. ("Dorfman"), entered into an out-of-court Settlement Agreement, which resolved Held's allegations that Dorfman sold tote bags 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, Dorfman agreed not to sell any tote bags in California after December 31, 2012, unless the tote bags contain less than 0.1 percent (1,000 parts per million) of DEHP in each accessible component when analyzed using state and federally approved testing methodologies. Due to Dorfman's commitment to comply with 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 $20,000, 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.