Moorberg v. Gartner Studios, Inc.

The parties involved in the case Moorberg v. Gartner Studios, Inc. executed a Consent Judgment on April 20, 2016.  In this matter, citizen enforcer Mark Moorberg alleged that Gartner Studios, Inc. (“Gartner”) sold vinyl/PVC notebook covers 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 agreement, Gartner agreed not to sell any vinyl/PVC notebook covers in California after the Santa Clara County Superior Court enters the Judgment, unless the covers contain no more than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies.

The Consent Judgment required settlement payments of $39,000, divided therein between civil penalties, 75% of which are paid to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and compensation to whistleblower Moorberg and his counsel for their successful enforcement of this matter in the public interest.