Moorberg v. Peter Pauper Press, Inc.

The parties involved in the case Moorberg v. Peter Pauper Press, Inc. executed a Consent Judgment on March 23, 2015.  In this matter, citizen enforcer Mark Moorberg alleged that Peter Pauper Press, Inc. (“Peter Pauper”) sold books with vinyl/PVC 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, Peter Pauper agreed not to sell any books with vinyl/PVC covers in California after July 15, 2015, unless the book covers contain no more than 1,000 parts per million of DEHP in any accessible component when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies.  Should Peter Pauper provide written certification that all books with vinyl/PVC covers sold in California qualify as reformulated by April 15, 2015, Moorberg agreed to waive a portion of the civil fine that would otherwise be applied.

The Consent Judgment required settlement payments of $55,500, 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.