California Prop 65 is Evolving, Will You Be Ready?

Since it passed into law in 1986, California Prop 65 (known officially as The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986), has been updated on a continual basis. Recently, there were changes proposed by the Office of Environmental Health and Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) according to an article published by Furniture Today.

In their article, it was noted that Amy Lally, a partner of the law offices of Sidley-Austin, mentioned that the new proposal could cause confusion amongst consumers and industry practitioners alike. Currently, California Prop 65 necessitates that retailers post warnings that state the products that are on a retailer's site “contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm”.

Furniture Today noted that the OEHHA stated that there were several major changes to California Prop 65. Among the major changes were “making the warnings more visible, providing warnings in foreign languages in certain instances, and identifying at least one listed chemical to which consumers could be exposed.” One of the items that was noted could cause some confusion with consumers and industry practitioners is how certain chemicals may be listed while others would not. Initial reactions were mixed and a general concern over being sued for listing one chemical but not others was raised.

As the consumer market demands more transparency over a product's chemical makeup, retailers will have to become more informed on the continually evolving regulatory environment. A clear understanding of these regulations in conjunction with a team of industry experts can help you stay proactive and compliant in the world of corporate social responsibility. To find out how Source Intelligence can help you champion chemical safety for your organization, register here for the complimentary webinar: Evolving Regulations: How To Stay In Front Of and Compliant with REACH, RoHS, CA Prop 65, and Conflict Minerals.