Held v. Michaels Stores, Inc., et al.

On December 29, 2008, citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E. and settling defendant Michaels Stores, Inc. ("Michaels") entered into an out-of-court Settlement Agreement, which resolved Held's allegations that Michaels sold vinyl bath toys 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 part of the settlement, Michaels agreed not to sell any vinyl bath toys or children’s items in California after December 31, 2008 unless the toys and children’s items contain no more than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP, butyl benzyl phthalate (“BBP”), and di-n-butyl phthalate (“DBP”) when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies. 

The Settlement Agreement requires settlement payments of $22,000, 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.