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VII. CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Questions & Answers about Proposition 65
What is Proposition 65?
Proposition 65 requires businesses to provide warnings to Californians about significant exposures to chemicals
that cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. These chemicals can be in the products that
Californians purchase, in their homes or workplaces, or that are released into the environment. By requiring
that this information be provided, Proposition 65 enables Californians to make informed decisions about their
exposures to these chemicals.
Proposition 65 also prohibits California businesses from knowingly discharging significant amounts of listed
chemicals into sources of drinking water. Proposition 65 requires California to publish a list of chemicals
known to cause cancer, 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.
What types of chemicals are in the Proposition 65 list?
The list contains a wide range of naturally occurring and synthetic chemicals that include additives or
ingredients in pesticides, common household products, food, drugs, dyes, or solvents. Listed chemicals may
also be used in manufacturing and construction, or they may be byproducts of chemical processes, such as
motor vehicle exhaust.
What does a warning mean?
If a warning is placed on a product label or posted or distributed at a workplace, a business, or in rental
housing, the business issuing the warning is aware or believes that it is exposing individuals to one or more
listed chemicals. By law, a warning must be given for listed chemicals unless the exposure is low enough
to pose no significant risk of cancer or is significantly below levels observed to cause birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
Where can I get more information on Proposition 65?
If you have specific questions on the administration or implementation of Proposition 65, you can contact
OEHHA’s Proposition 65 program at P65.Questions@oehha.ca.gov, or by phone at (916) 445-6900.
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