PROPOSITION 65

In 1986, California voters approved an initiative to address their growing concerns about exposure (inhaling, oral, transdermal, hand-to-mouth) to toxic chemicals. That initiative became the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, better known by its original name of Proposition 65. Proposition 65 requires the State to publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm. This list, which must be updated at least once a year, has grown to include approximately 900 chemicals since it was first published in 1987.

 

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) administers the Proposition 65 program. OEHHA, which is part of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA), also evaluates all currently available scientific information on substances considered for placement on the Proposition 65 list.

 

For complete information on California's Prop 65 and the current OEHHA Prop 65 Chemical List that provides safe harbor levels, please use the below link.

 What is Prop 65??

 Why are we just hearing about Prop 65?

The reason this "old" legislation is creating so much noise now, is that there are new requirements in how the warning language must read and what it must include.  Nothing else has changed - and this applies only to companies that sell products in the state of California.

 

New OEHHA regulations, adopted in August 2016 and effective as of August 30th, 2018, changed the safe harbor warnings which are deemed to comply with the law in several ways. For example, the new warnings for consumer products will now say the product "can expose you to" a Proposition 65 chemical rather than just saying the product "contains" the chemical. Labeling changes will also include:

 

  • The name of at least one listed chemical that prompted the warning
  • The Internet address for OEHHA's new Proposition 65 warnings website, www.P65Warnings.ca.gov, which includes additional information on the health effects of listed chemicals and ways to reduce or eliminate exposure to them
  • A triangular yellow warning symbol on most warnings.

Label Example

Details of Changes

 What does it mean to ALG customers?

The heart of California Proposition 65 states that "no person in the course of doing business shall knowingly and intentionally expose any individual to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without first giving clear and reasonable warning to such individual".

 

Any company selling a product in the state of California that contains any Prop 65 chemicals measuring above the Safe Harbor levels, must provide a compliant warning for that product.  As of August 30th, 2018, this new warning language is required on these products as well as identifying at least 1 of the chemicals that are in the product.

 

ALG has received information about Prop 65 exposure from our suppliers of raw materials and inks. While some ALG raw materials utilize chemicals found on the Prop 65 list, these materials typically do not provide an exposure risk in our finished products, once curing or drying has occurred.

 

Even though ALG does not control or have knowledge of the end uses of the products we produce or their distribution, it is highly unlikely that exposure to ALG products would exceed the Safe Harbor levels outlined in Prop 65.

 

 

Please see the section below if you need assistance in assessing product compliance with Prop 65.

 

 How ALG can help you comply with Prop 65

ALG has a process in place to provide Prop 65 material compliance information provided by our suppliers, to our customers.

 

If your company supplies products into the state of California and need to inquire about the regulatory status of ALG produced parts in terms of Prop 65 compliance, here is how we can assist:

 

  • Reach out to your ALG Customer Service or Sales Representative.

 

  • Provide the part number(s) or product(s) that you are inquiring about.

 

  • We will then contact the supplier(s) with the requested information on materials used specifically to create these products detailed in your inquiry.

 

  • We will then provide you with our supplier's response outlining any products that may fall within Prop 65 compliance.

 

For this point, you can then assess your company's next steps with Prop 65 compliance.

ALG Labels and Graphics is a custom manufacturer of pressure sensitive labels and decals celebrating over 50 years in business.  Our focus is delivering value to our customers with responsive service, quality products and low cost production.  Our mission is to make it easy for you to do business with ALG.

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