Chemicals

California’s Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, states that the State of California must maintain a list of toxic materials that can cause cancer, birth defects, or cause reproductive harm. Companies selling products in California containing one of these chemicals must place the Prop 65 warning on the product’s label that the product contains one of the Prop 65 chemicals.

The California Green Chemistry Initiative was launched in April 2007 by California's Secretary for Environmental Protection. The Secretary requested that the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) lead a broad public process to generate ideas that could fill information and safety gaps about chemicals, develop overall policy goals, and identify and recommend policy options. The Initiative is divided into two phases.

The California Toxic Toys Bill (AB 1108) was signed into law on October 14, 2007 as Chaptered 672 (PDF file, 74KB). The law will ban six types of phthalates from children's toys sold in California starting on January 1, 2009.

SB 1713, introduced February 22, 2008, would require manufacturers to use the least toxic alternative when replacing phthalates in their products and apply the prohibition and least toxic alternative requirements to certain toys and child care articles that contain bisphenol A or lead in detectable levels.

SB 509 (PDF file, 79KB) signed into law on September 29, 2008, requires the Department of Toxic Substances Control to establish a Toxics Information Clearinghouse for the collection, maintenance, and distribution of specific chemical hazard traits and environmental and toxicological end-point data.

AB 1879 (PDF file, 170KB) signed into law on September 29, 2008, requires the state Department of Toxic Substances Control to establish a process to identify and regulate hazardous chemicals. The bill requires the department to prepare a life-cycle evaluation for all chemicals which would be submitted to the California Environmental Policy Council for review.