Held v. Regent Baby Products Corporation, et al.

On August 6, 2008, the Alameda County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Held v. Regent Baby Products Corporation, which resolved citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E.'s allegations that the defendant Regent Baby Products Corporation ("Regent") sold children's toys and childcare items containing the phthalate chemicals di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate ("DEHP"), butyl benzyl phthalate ("BBP"), di-n-butyl phthalate ("DBP"), di-isodecyl phthalate ("DIDP"), di-n-hexyl phthalate ("DnHP") and the heavy metal lead in the State of California without providing the requisite health hazard warnings.

As part of the settlement, Regent agreed not to sell any children's toys or childcare items in California after May 31, 2008, unless the children's toys and childcare items contain no more than 1,000 parts per million of a phthalate chemical and no more than 200 parts per million of lead when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies. Due to Regent's prompt cooperation and commitment to reformulation, Held agreed to credit a portion of the civil fine. The settlement sum does not include additional fees incurred seeking judicial approval of the Consent Judgment.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $97,000, 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.