Held v. Kittrich Corporation; J.C. Collins, Inc.; MLB Clubhouse

On June 30, 2009, the Orange County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Held v. Kittrich Corporation; J.C. Collins, Inc.; MLB Clubhouse, which resolved citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E.'s allegations that the defendant Kittrich Corporation ("Kittrich") sold sporting toys 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 agreement, Kittrich agreed not to sell any sporting toys in California after May 29, 2009, unless the sporting toys contain less than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies or have Proposition 65 health hazard warnings affixed to them.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $39,000, 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.