Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA)
Last updated 11/26/2024
Contact
- Email: answers@oehha.ca.gov
- Phone: 916-324-7572
Description
Our overall mission is to protect and enhance public health and the environment by scientific evaluation of risks posed by hazardous substances.
Services
Find harmful chemical warnings
The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment is establishing this website to provide the public with information on chemicals, products and locations often associated with Proposition 65 warnings. These warnings inform Californians about their exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Last updated 11/26/2024
Health Effects of Pesticides
OEHHA responds to inquiries from the public on the health effects of pesticides, including those used to control invasive species. OEHHA also provides educational materials and trainings to health care professionals on pesticide-related illnesses and reporting requirements.
Last updated 12/09/2024
Public Health Goals
A Public Health Goal (PHG) is the level of a chemical contaminant in drinking water that does not pose a significant risk to health.
Last updated 12/11/2024
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a warning mean?
If a warning is placed on a product label or posted or distributed at a workplace, a business, or in rental housing, the business issuing the warning is aware or believes that it is exposing individuals to one or more listed chemicals.
By law, a warning must be given for listed chemicals unless the exposure is low enough to pose no significant risk of cancer or is significantly below levels observed to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.
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. Exposure to these chemicals may take place when products are acquired or used. Exposure may also occur in homes, workplaces, or other environments in California. 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 was first published in 1987, and must be updated at least once a year. It now includes over 900 chemicals.
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.
Who administers Proposition 65?
The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) administers the Proposition 65 program. OEHHA, which is part of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), determines in many cases whether chemicals meet the scientific and legal requirements for placement on the Proposition 65 list, and administers regulations that govern warnings and other aspects of Proposition 65.