What Does the Prop 65 Warning on Your QuantaCase Mean?
- Right to Know – CA
- Proposition 65 -CA
To keep water safe everywhere and free of harmful chemicals, please recycle the plastic bag we ship the case in and the rubber protective case inside the flip cover when no longer needed.
“This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.” This message might be unexpected and even alarming when you see it on your new QuantaCase product. However, if you live in California, you’ll notice this warning on numerous items, from household products to restaurant menus and theme parks.
This warning is due to the California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, commonly known as “Proposition 65.”
Why Does Quanta X Technology LLC Include This Warning?
Understanding Proposition 65:
First and foremost, Quanta X Technology LLC strives to comply with all applicable laws, including Proposition 65. Due to the way Proposition 65 is structured, it is challenging to determine with complete scientific certainty whether any particular product requires a warning for one of the more than 850 chemicals on the Proposition 65 list.
Additionally, the law permits any private individual to sue companies to enforce the law and keep a percentage of the penalties imposed. This has led to a significant number of lawsuits each year, often filed by these so-called private bounty hunters. The costs associated with defending these cases and the potential penalties are substantial.
Ensuring Compliance:
To mitigate potential liability and comply with the law, Quanta X Technology LLC, like many other manufacturers, includes the Proposition 65 warning out of an abundance of caution. Given the complexity and cost of testing and re-testing for over 850 chemicals across all our products and sub-assemblies, we find it financially impractical. For a complete list of these chemicals, visit the official OEHHA website.
It’s important to note that the presence of a Proposition 65 warning does not necessarily mean our products will cause harm. Furthermore, this warning does not indicate a violation of any safety standards or requirements. The California government has clarified that “the fact that a product bears a Proposition 65 warning does not mean by itself that the product is unsafe.” The government has also explained that Proposition 65 is more of a “right to know” law than a strict product safety law.
We believe our products are safe when used as designed. We provide the warning to comply with California’s right-to-know law.
Why is This Warning Included if I Purchased the Product Outside of California?
Our products are sold nationwide, and it would be extremely difficult and costly to determine which products will eventually be sold or brought into California. Therefore, to ensure compliance with Proposition 65 requirements, we include these warnings on all our products, regardless of their final destination.
What is Proposition 65?
Proposition 65 is a broad law that applies to any company operating in California, selling products in California, or manufacturing products that may be sold in or brought into California. It mandates that the Governor of California, through the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), maintain and publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. This list, which is updated at least annually, includes a wide variety of chemicals found in many everyday items, such as dyes, solvents, drugs, food additives, by-products of certain processes, pesticides, and tobacco products. Proposition 65 ensures people are informed about their exposure to these chemicals.
Proposition 65 also requires warnings on any product, packaging, or accompanying literature that contains or may contain any of the 800-plus chemicals listed by OEHHA. Many of these chemicals have been used in everyday consumer items for years without documented harm.
A warning must be given if a listed chemical is present in a product unless a business can demonstrate that the exposure poses “no significant risk.” The “no significant risk” levels established under the law are some of the most conservative public health standards globally. For carcinogens, the “no significant risk” level is the exposure level calculated to result in no more than one excess case of cancer in 100,000 individuals over a 70-year lifetime. For reproductive toxicants, the “no significant risk” level is defined as the exposure level which, even if multiplied by 1,000, will not produce birth defects or other reproductive harm.
For more information about Proposition 65, visit the OEHHA website.
