Held v. Idea Nuova, Incorporated, et al.

On June 8, 2012, the San Francisco County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Held v. Idea Nuova, Inc.; et al., which resolved citizen enforcer Anthony Held, Ph.D., P.E.'s allegations that the defendant Idea Nuova Inc. ("Idea Nuova") sold tote bags in the State of California containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ("DEHP") without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Idea Nuova agreed not to sell any tote bags in California after December 16, 2011, unless such tote bags contain less than or equal to 1,000 parts per million of DEHP in any accessible component when analyzed pursuant to state and federally approved testing methodologies. Due to Idea Nuova's commitment to comply by these heightened standards, Held agreed to credit Idea Nuova with a portion of the civil penalties that would otherwise be applied.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $42,000, 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.