Held v. Bell Automotive Products, Inc., et al.

On March 21, 2012, the Marin County Superior Court entered a Consent Judgment in Held v. Bell Automotive Products, Inc., et al., which resolved citizen enforcer Anthony E. Held, Ph.D., P.E.'s allegations that the defendant, Bell Automotive Products, Inc. ("Bell Automotive"), sold automotive organizers and automotive seat 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 settlement, Bell Automotive agreed not to sell any automobile organizers and automotive seat covers in California after March 21, 2012, unless the organizers and seat covers contain no more than 1,000 parts per million (0.1%) of DEHP when analyzed using state or federally approved testing methodologies or have Proposition 65 warnings provided. Due to Bell Automotive's commitment to comply with the heightened standards, Held agreed to waive a portion of the civil fine that would otherwise be applied.

The Consent Judgment requires settlement payments of $45,500, 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.