Proposition 65

In response to a growing concern about exposure to toxic chemicals, California voters approved an initiative in November 1986 called the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, better known as Proposition 65. This Act became effective on January 1, 1987 and requires the State of California to publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm at least once per year. Basically the Act has two primary goals:

• To protect California citizens and the state’s drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm;
• To inform citizens about exposure to such chemicals.

It accomplishes this by requiring that clear and reasonable warnings be provided to any person exposed to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Proposition 65 includes the following major components: