California Proposition 65

This product or products sold on this website may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Attention California residents: California’s Proposition 65 entitles California consumers to special warnings for products that contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm if those products expose consumers to such chemicals above certain threshold levels.

WARNING: Some dust created by power sanding, sawing, grinding, drilling, and other construction activities contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. Some examples of these chemicals are:

• lead from lead-based paints, crystalline silica from bricks and cement and other masonry
• products, and arsenic and chromium from chemically treated lumber.

Your risk from exposure to these chemicals varies, depending on how often you do this type of work. To reduce your exposure, work in a well-ventilated area and with approved safety equipment, such as dust masks that are specially designed to filter out microscopic particles.

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.

Proposition 65 became law in November 1986, when California voters approved it by a 63-37 percent margin. The official name of Proposition 65 is the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986.

What types of chemicals are on 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.

Where do I see what items are affected by Proposition 65?

On our website, we provide a warning in the description of every item that requires the Prop 65 Warning. 

Where can I learn more about Proposition 65?