Held v. Office Depot, Inc. and Advantus, Inc.

On November 23, 2010, the Alameda County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Held v. Office Depot, Inc., which resolved citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E.'s allegations that the defendant Office Depot, Inc. ("Office Depot") sold vinyl pouches and keychains containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ("DEHP") that were manufactured and/or distributed by defendant Advantus Inc. ("Advantus") in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Office Depot agreed not to sell and Advantus agreed not to manufacture or distribute any keychains or vinyl pouches in California after July 1, 2010, unless the keychains and vinyl pouches contain less than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP when analyzed using state and federally approved testing methodologies. The monetary injunctive relief was collectively paid by Office Depot and Advantus.

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