- Joined
- Jan 28, 2011
- Messages
- 3,484
I have received a very ambiguous answer from the contact listed in the link from Jim Dawson.
Here it is......since there is nothing in it that is sensitive there should be no issues with my posting it.
Pierre
Thank you for contacting OEHHA regarding Proposition 65.
Proposition 65 is a law approved by California voters in 1986. It requires the state of California to compile a list of chemicals that cause cancer or reproductive harm and it requires companies with 10 or more employees that expose Californians to chemicals on the list to provide a clear and reasonable warning about the exposure(s). It does not ban or restrict the use (or shipment) of any given chemical. OEHHA compiles the Proposition 65 list, but we do not test products and we do not have any information on which chemicals are in which products.
Businesses are not required to provide OEHHA with any information regarding their decision to provide a Proposition 65 warning. This decision is made by each business based on its knowledge of the types of chemical exposures it is responsible for causing to individuals.
Because we do not know why a business has chosen to provide a warning, we generally cannot respond to specific questions regarding product safety, the reason a warning is being given, or the listed chemical for which the warning is being given. We also cannot answer questions regarding how long and at what level the chemical exposures have been occurring. The responses to these questions should be requested from the business providing the warning. The Proposition 65 list of chemicals is available at http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/Newlist.html.
The purpose of Proposition 65 is to notify consumers that they are being exposed to chemicals that are known to cause cancer and/or reproductive toxicity. Consumers can decide on their own if they want to purchase or use the product. A Proposition 65 warning does not necessarily mean a product is in violation of any product-safety standards or requirements. For additional information about the warning, we recommend that you contact the product manufacturer.
For chemicals that are listed as causing cancer, the "no significant risk level” is defined as the level of exposure that would result in not more than one excess case of cancer in 100,000 individuals exposed to the chemical over a 70-year lifetime. In other words, a person exposed to the chemical at the “no significant risk level” for 70 years would not have more than a “one in 100,000” chance of developing cancer as a result of that exposure.
For chemicals that are listed as causing birth defects or reproductive harm, the “no observable effect level” is determined by identifying the level of exposure that has been shown to not pose any harm to humans or laboratory animals. Proposition 65 then requires this “no observable effect level” to be divided by 1,000 in order to provide an ample margin of safety. Businesses subject to Proposition 65 are required to provide a warning if they cause exposures to chemicals listed as causing birth defects or reproductive harm that exceed 1/1000th of the “no observable effect level.”
Other state public health officials and federal government agencies are responsible for regulating product safety. For example, the California Department of Public Health (link is external) issues recalls of food products found to be unsafe. The federal U.S. Food and Drug Administration (link is external) regulates food, drug, cosmetic and medical device products. Other types of consumer products, including toys, jewelry, personal care products, and other non-food items, are regulated by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (link is external), which also may issue recalls for products found to be unsafe. Finally, the California Air Resources Board (link is external) may ban products that harm the air we breathe.
I hope this information is helpful.
Kind regards,
Here it is......since there is nothing in it that is sensitive there should be no issues with my posting it.
Pierre
Thank you for contacting OEHHA regarding Proposition 65.
Proposition 65 is a law approved by California voters in 1986. It requires the state of California to compile a list of chemicals that cause cancer or reproductive harm and it requires companies with 10 or more employees that expose Californians to chemicals on the list to provide a clear and reasonable warning about the exposure(s). It does not ban or restrict the use (or shipment) of any given chemical. OEHHA compiles the Proposition 65 list, but we do not test products and we do not have any information on which chemicals are in which products.
Businesses are not required to provide OEHHA with any information regarding their decision to provide a Proposition 65 warning. This decision is made by each business based on its knowledge of the types of chemical exposures it is responsible for causing to individuals.
Because we do not know why a business has chosen to provide a warning, we generally cannot respond to specific questions regarding product safety, the reason a warning is being given, or the listed chemical for which the warning is being given. We also cannot answer questions regarding how long and at what level the chemical exposures have been occurring. The responses to these questions should be requested from the business providing the warning. The Proposition 65 list of chemicals is available at http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/Newlist.html.
The purpose of Proposition 65 is to notify consumers that they are being exposed to chemicals that are known to cause cancer and/or reproductive toxicity. Consumers can decide on their own if they want to purchase or use the product. A Proposition 65 warning does not necessarily mean a product is in violation of any product-safety standards or requirements. For additional information about the warning, we recommend that you contact the product manufacturer.
For chemicals that are listed as causing cancer, the "no significant risk level” is defined as the level of exposure that would result in not more than one excess case of cancer in 100,000 individuals exposed to the chemical over a 70-year lifetime. In other words, a person exposed to the chemical at the “no significant risk level” for 70 years would not have more than a “one in 100,000” chance of developing cancer as a result of that exposure.
For chemicals that are listed as causing birth defects or reproductive harm, the “no observable effect level” is determined by identifying the level of exposure that has been shown to not pose any harm to humans or laboratory animals. Proposition 65 then requires this “no observable effect level” to be divided by 1,000 in order to provide an ample margin of safety. Businesses subject to Proposition 65 are required to provide a warning if they cause exposures to chemicals listed as causing birth defects or reproductive harm that exceed 1/1000th of the “no observable effect level.”
Other state public health officials and federal government agencies are responsible for regulating product safety. For example, the California Department of Public Health (link is external) issues recalls of food products found to be unsafe. The federal U.S. Food and Drug Administration (link is external) regulates food, drug, cosmetic and medical device products. Other types of consumer products, including toys, jewelry, personal care products, and other non-food items, are regulated by the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (link is external), which also may issue recalls for products found to be unsafe. Finally, the California Air Resources Board (link is external) may ban products that harm the air we breathe.
I hope this information is helpful.
Kind regards,
If I say any more I'll be swerving into politics and we are not going there.
