This little bit of madness is brought to you courtesy of Proposition 65 - a
California law that requires businesses (and only businesses) to notify
individuals in the event of an exposure to a toxic chemical. It does not matter
if there is no risk or hazard to individuals who handle the product - the state
law requires the warning label if the California Office of Environmental Health
Hazard Assessment has determined that the chemical is toxic. Prop 65 specifies
that a finding of toxicity is required if the exposure is as much a one - one
thousandth of the no-observable-effect-level (NOEL) determined by research. In
other words, a 1000 fold safety factor.

A little over two years ago a group of lawyers masquerading as environmentalists
(but they are all the same, anyway) brought a lawsuit against a very large
portion of the consumer electronics industry and its distributors and retailers,
claiming they had violated Prop 65 by failing to post the mandated warning on
their products because their products (mainly cables) contained minute traces of
lead.  The label Philip describes is a direct result of that lawsuit.

And it is not only the electronics industry - in the last few years the same or
related groups brought Prop 65 lawsuits against makers of brass keys (lead),
chocolate candy makers (lead and cadmium), and fast food vendors MacDonalds and
Burger King (acrylamide - which is produced when you cook certain foods - in
this case french fries).

Many businesses such as grocery and liguor stores, doctors offices and gas
stations put up Prop 65 notices on their premises just to cover their butts.
Technically, any place that serves food SHOULD put up the Prop 65 notice because
of the naturally occurring pesticides in most foods.

Chuck Dolci



*MIME-Version: 1.0
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*From: Phil Joyce <[log in to unmask]>
*Subject: [LF] Lead causes madness
*X-To: Leadfree Electronics Assembly Forum <[log in to unmask]>
*To: [log in to unmask]
*
*I see the European disease has finally lodged in the minds of the fair state
*of California.
*
*A warning label on my Belkin cable, made in the USA and just purchased,
*states:
*"WARNING
*This product contains chemicals including lead, known to the State of
*California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. Wash hands
*after handling."
*
*So the lead in the solder joints is going to leap out of the plug and socket
*ends and sink itself deep into your dermis is it?
*
*Oh dear. I used to be very pro environmentalists, but the common sense is
*just not there any more.
*
*Regards
*Phil Joyce
*Andover, UK
*
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