Proposition 65 protects us from toxic chemicals in our homes, neighborhoods and at work.

California’s right-to-know law shines a light on harmful chemicals and where they’re lurking in our environment.

WHY

A Growing Problem

The food we eat, air we breathe and water we drink can expose us to toxic chemicals known to cause cancer and disrupt the body’s hormones, raising the risk of infertility or birth defects.

Tens of thousands of chemicals currently in the marketplace have never been adequately tested for safety, yet remain on the market due to weak federal laws and policy loopholes.

Prop 65 increases transparency about the toxic chemicals all around us

Prop 65 is one of the most important pieces of public health legislation in the country because it increases transparency about the toxic chemicals all around us.

Prop 65 is one of the most critical right-to-know laws in the country, protecting our health by keeping hazardous chemicals out of our bodies.

Prop 65 tasks California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment with maintaining a comprehensive list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm. The List is based on sound, evidence-based science with input from agencies like:

  • US Environmental Protection Agency
  • US Food and Drug Administration
  • International agencies like the World Health Organization.

HOW

Legal Actions

California's attorney general, public health advocates and pollution watchdogs take legal action against businesses that do not warn consumers when significant amounts of toxic chemicals are in their products or released into the environment during manufacturing.

Innovation

Companies choose to reformulate their products with safer chemicals in a process that drives innovation and creates jobs while also making workplaces and communities safer.

Warnings

Businesses explicitly warn about exposures to toxic chemicals and empower consumers to make more informed decisions.

Policy

Lawmakers across the country rely on Prop 65 science to develop other health-protective measures to control toxics exposure.

WHO

Prop 65 has been the guiding force behind marketplace transformations toward a healthier nation, including:

  • Removing lead from children’s toys and fashion jewelry.
  • Helping communities living on the frontlines of polluting industries protect their health and safety.
  • Protecting students from inhaling toxic heavy metals riding school buses on the way home from school.
  • Providing a pathway for communities of color to combat environmental racism.
  • Preventing cancer and reproductive harm in consumers by reducing exposure to toxic chemicals.
ANHE logo

Prop 65 Protects Community

Pacbell to Remove Toxic Underwater Cable from Lake Tahoe’s Waters

Pacbell to Remove Toxic Underwater Cable from Lake Tahoe’s Waters

Pacbell to Remove Toxic Underwater Cable from Lake Tahoe’s Waters 63 Tons of Lead in Long-Abandoned Telecom Lines OAKLAND, CA – AT&T’s PacBell subsidiary will pull eight miles of decrepit telephone cable out of Lake Tahoe, where it has been leaching toxic lead into the lake’s water for decades, under a settlement agreement finalized last week in […]

Read more
No One Should Be Exposed to Cancer-Causing Chemicals

No One Should Be Exposed to Cancer-Causing Chemicals

When communities are threatened by toxic substances in our air, water, or the products we use in our homes, environmental watch groups utilize Proposition 65 as a tool to pressure manufacturers to take accountability for our exposure to hazardous chemicals. Public health advocates like the Environmental Health Coalition use Prop 65 to obtain justice for […]

Read more
View All Articles