Held v. Farouk Systems, Inc.

In the enforcement action Held v. Farouk Systems, Inc, et al., the parties executed an agreement on December 28, 2012, which resolved citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E.’s allegations that the defendant Farouk Systems, Inc. (“Farouk”) sold clutches and toiletry 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, Farouk agreed not to sell any clutches or toiletry bags in California after March 6, 2013, unless the products contain no more than 1,000 parts per million (0.1%) of DEHP in any accessible component that may be touched or handled during reasonably foreseeable use when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies.  Should Farouk provide written certification that all of its products qualify as reformulated by April 15, 2013, Held agreed to waive a portion of the civil fine that would otherwise be applied.    

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $70,000, 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.