Held v. Enchante Accessories, Inc.

On January 9, 2009, the Sacramento County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Held v. Enchanté Accessories, Inc., which resolved citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E.’s allegations that the defendant Enchanté Accessories, Inc. (“Enchanté”) sold vinyl bathroom animals and children’s items containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (“DEHP”) in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings. 

As of October 1, 2008, Enchanté represented that it no longer distributes vinyl bathroom toys/children’s items in California.  As part of the settlement, should Enchanté reintroduce the sale of bathroom toys/children’s items in California, they will be sold or shipped with Proposition 65 warnings.  The settlement sum does not include fees incurred seeking judicial approval of the Consent Judgment.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $36,000, to be 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.