California Proposition 65
December 12, 2023 | Written by GreenSoft Technology, Inc.
Three Chemicals Added to California Proposition 65 Substance List in November
Coal-Tar Pitch, Fluoro-Edenite Fibrous Amphibole, and Silicon Carbide Whiskers added to the Proposition 65 regulated substances list
Last month, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) added three new substances to the list of chemicals regulated under the state’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65).
Effective November 17, 2023, the following three substances have been added to the list of chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer:
- Coal-Tar Pitch
- Fluoro-Edenite Fibrous Amphibole
- Silicon Carbide Whiskers
Coal-tar pitch is used as a binder in the production of carbon and graphite materials, including electrodes for electric arc furnaces and anodes in aluminum production. Coal-tar pitch is often employed in the manufacturing of high-performance carbon composites used in aerospace and electronic components due to its ability to provide structural integrity and thermal stability.
Silicon carbide whiskers are frequently used as reinforcement in composites for semiconductor device fabrication, enhancing materials in electronic packaging, printed circuit boards, and high-temperature electronics.
Fluoro-edenite fibrous amphibole is not commonly used in electronic applications.
California law requires that certain substances identified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) be listed as known to cause cancer under California Proposition 65. The IARC recently concluded that coal-tar pitch and fluoro-edenite fibrous amphibole carcinogenic to humans, and that silicon carbide whiskers are probably carcinogenic to humans. Additionally, IARC concluded that there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and animals for coal-tar pitch and fluoro-edenite fibrous amphibole, and that there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in animals for silicon carbide whiskers.
The full California Proposition 65 list of regulated substances can be found here. The announcement of the three new substance additions can be found here.
GreenSoft Technology provides help with Proposition 65
The inclusion of these three substances in the California Proposition 65 regulated substances list brings about immediate obligations for affected companies. In order to comply with the obligations under California Proposition 65, businesses must have detailed knowledge of the chemicals that their products or business locations contain and expose to the California public.
Affected companies are required to inform Californians about exposure to substances on the Proposition 65 chemicals list before the potential exposure takes place. Penalties for being found in violation of CA Prop 65 can be as high as $2,500 per violation, per day.
In order to know which chemicals are exposed to the public, a business must collect substance data on the products that it sells to the public in California or the products that it uses within its California business locations. GreenSoft Technology can help with this process.
As part of our California Proposition 65 Data Services, we will collect substance data from your suppliers on your behalf, and check it against the list of chemicals regulated under CA Prop 65. Contact us to learn more.