Held v. Panasonic Corporation of North America, et al.

On February 1, 2012, the Marin County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Held v. Panasonic Corporation of North America, et al., which resolved citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E.'s allegations that the defendant Panasonic Corporation of North America ("Panasonic"), sold toiletry cases and bags containing the phthalate chemical di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ("DEHP") in the State of California without providing the requisite health warnings.

As part of the settlement, Panasonic agreed not to sell in California any toiletry cases/bags after September 19, 2011, unless each accessible component of such cases/bags contains less than or equal to 1,000 parts per million of DEHP when analyzed pursuant to state and federally approved testing methodologies. Due to Panasonic's commitment to comply by these heightened standards and cooperation during the settlement process, Held agreed to credit a portion of the civil fine that would otherwise be applied.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $37,500, 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.