Exmark Lazer LZE - California Proposition 65 Warning; Understanding Prop 65 Warnings

CaliforniaProposition65WarningInformation
Whatisthiswarning?
Youmayseeaproductforsalethathasawarninglabellikethefollowing:
WARNING:CancerandReproductiveHarm—www .p65Warnings.ca.gov.
WhatisProp65?
Prop65appliestoanycompanyoperatinginCalifornia,sellingproductsinCalifornia,ormanufacturingproductsthatmaybesoldinorbroughtintoCalifornia.Itmandates
thattheGovernorofCaliforniamaintainandpublishalistofchemicalsknowntocausecancer,birthdefects,and/orotherreproductiveharm.Thelist,whichisupdated
annually,includeshundredsofchemicalsfoundinmanyeverydayitems.ThepurposeofProp65istoinformthepublicaboutexposuretothesechemicals.
Prop65doesnotbanthesaleofproductscontainingthesechemicalsbutinsteadrequireswarningsonanyproduct,productpackaging,orliteraturewiththeproduct.
Moreover,aProp65warningdoesnotmeanthataproductisinviolationofanyproductsafetystandardsorrequirements.Infact,theCaliforniagovernmenthasclariedthat
aProp65warning“isnotthesameasaregulatorydecisionthataproductis‘safe’or‘unsafe.’”Manyofthesechemicalshavebeenusedineverydayproductsforyearswithout
documentedharm.Formoreinformation,gotohttps://oag.ca.gov/prop65/faqs-view-all
.
AProp65warningmeansthatacompanyhaseither(1)evaluatedtheexposureandhasconcludedthatitexceedsthe“nosignicantrisklevel”;or(2)haschosentoprovidea
warningbasedonitsunderstandingaboutthepresenceofalistedchemicalwithoutattemptingtoevaluatetheexposure.
Doesthislawapplyeverywhere?
Prop65warningsarerequiredunderCalifornialawonly.ThesewarningsareseenthroughoutCaliforniainawiderangeofsettings,includingbutnotlimitedtorestaurants,
grocerystores,hotels,schools,andhospitals,andonawidevarietyofproducts.Additionally,someonlineandmailorderretailersprovideProp65warningsontheir
websitesorincatalogs.
HowdotheCaliforniawarningscomparetofederallimits?
Prop65standardsareoftenmorestringentthanfederalandinternationalstandards.TherearevarioussubstancesthatrequireaProp65warningatlevelsthatarefarlowerthan
federalactionlimits.Forexample,theProp65standardforwarningsforleadis0.5μg/day,whichiswellbelowthefederalandinternationalstandards.
Whydon’tallsimilarproductscarrythewarning?
•ProductssoldinCaliforniarequireProp65labellingwhilesimilarproductssoldelsewheredonot.
•AcompanyinvolvedinaProp65lawsuitreachingasettlementmayberequiredtouseProp65warningsforitsproducts,butothercompaniesmakingsimilar
productsmayhavenosuchrequirement.
•TheenforcementofProp65isinconsistent.
•CompaniesmayelectnottoprovidewarningsbecausetheyconcludethattheyarenotrequiredtodosounderProp65;alackofwarningsforaproductdoesnotmean
thattheproductisfreeoflistedchemicalsatsimilarlevels.
WhydoesExmarkincludethiswarning?
Exmarkhaschosentoprovideconsumerswithasmuchinformationaspossiblesothattheycanmakeinformeddecisionsabouttheproductstheybuyanduse.Exmark
provideswarningsincertaincasesbasedonitsknowledgeofthepresenceofoneormorelistedchemicalswithoutevaluatingthelevelofexposure,asnotallthelisted
chemicalsprovideexposurelimitrequirements.WhiletheexposurefromExmarkproductsmaybenegligibleorwellwithinthe“nosignicantrisk”range,outofanabundance
ofcaution,ExmarkhaselectedtoprovidetheProp65warnings.Moreover,ifExmarkdoesnotprovidethesewarnings,itcouldbesuedbytheStateofCaliforniaorby
privatepartiesseekingtoenforceProp65andsubjecttosubstantialpenalties.
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