Held v. Enesco, LLC

On March 11, 2011, citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E. and settling defendant Enesco, LLC ("Enesco"), entered into an out-of-court Settlement Agreement, which resolved Held's allegations that Enesco sold pouches 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, Enesco agreed not sell any pouches in California after February 21, 2011, unless the pouches contain less than 0.1 percent (1,000 parts per million) of DEHP when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies. Due to Enesco'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 $16,500, 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.