Held v. Spex Clothing Company, Inc.

On September 17, 2012, citizen enforcer Anthony Held, Ph.D., P.E. and settling defendant Spex Clothing Company, Inc. ("Spex"), entered into an out-of-court Settlement Agreement, which resolved Held's allegations that Spex sold belts 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, Spex agreed not to sell any belts in California after September 5, 2012, unless the belts contain less than 1,000 parts per million (0.1%) of DEHP when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies. Due to Spex's commitment to comply with these heightened standards, Held agreed to credit a portion of the civil fine that would otherwise be applied.

The Settlement Agreement requires settlement payments of $20,000, 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.