European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 26, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine California s prop. 65 environmental salvation or Public Nightmare new York times tar Hng saturday Lile will change Lor the 21 million residents of California almost daily the jilt receive Pom cd reminders Aboul the chem Cal risks of the co try life of the 20lh Century in the nation Starr Iris stale when the pull up to Sells Rico Gas Stalions they will be confronted with signs like the one Al a 76 Union in Elron. Warning thai chemicals  10 tha stale of California to cause cancer birth defects and Ciner reproductive Rui Fri r. A computer Chip maker in Sunnyvale Tho usual safely information Given employees will have slickers added idling Ihm they a be exposed to three chemicals chromium arsenic and Lead known Loho state of California to cause cacti or Binh defects this is ail the result of a tur read hmm new California Law Ihm has drawn National interest and concern ii puts the Burden on companies to prove their products and emissions ire sate or give Public warnings and establishes a Bounly Hunter provision whereby citizens who sue violates can keep 25 percent of any Linos. Its backers Ca it the Dawn of a new environmental age thai wid sweep East across Hie country California will become the most conservative slate in the world with respect to exposure to dangerous chemicals said assemblyman Tom Hayden. A ma0f Backer Ottha Law which was passed overwhelmingly by Public Rel Rondum in november 1966. He added that he Houghl numerous products marketed nationally would be changed to pass the California health  critics of the Law. Popularly known As proposition c5 Sec the beginning of a Nightmare in which the Public i get an out Tudose of conf a Sig. Costly and redundant warnings lion companies tearful of lawsuits Dick Kreutzen of the environmental working group an Industry body conned so Cope with the Law. Said that Banks had begun to ask borrowers of their proposition 65 plans and that some California manufacturers were having Dill Eully obtaining needed raw materials from nervous out of slate suppliers. Under the Law the Sale drinking water and toxic enforcement act no business May expose people to chemicals Hal cause cancer or birth defects without giving a Clear and reasonable  exceptions Are made when no significant risk of human cancer or no observable feted at t .000 times the level of exposing when in comes to birth detects can be proven. Failure to give a warning can bring fines of up to $2.500 a Day Lor each exposure another a t of the Law equally controversial prohibits any business from knowingly discharging such chemicals into drinking water. Thai provision goes Inlo effect on oct 27, and carries criminal penalties the warnings must Start this saturday for 29 substances designated by Cov. George Dukmejian under the requirements of the proposition which he opposed. The not includes such common Industrial chemicals As benzene Lead Vinyl Chloride chromium arsenic and Asbestos. Later 149 other carcinogens and birth detect toxins including Ethyl alcohol in alcoholic beverages will be added. Ambient cigarette smoke May also be added by the governor who is empowered to Issue regulations to enforce the Law while there is Halle dispute among scientists that these chemicals Are adv the new Tow Renews debates about Iho dosages Al which they Are dangerous by requiring Hie companies Hal Emit or use he chemicals to define the safety Levels environmentalists Are contending Hal existing Federal standards ate olten inadequate. Thus in a striking reversal of environmental tactics the grocery manufacturers of America and other National and local business organizations lobbied intensely for precise regulations governing what constitutes no significant risk or Clear and reasonable  in in him regulations issued Fecto 16. The Dukmejian administration spelled out the Levels thai would trigger the warnings. Bui in doing so it stirred More debate by staling thai at least Tempora Lity Quisling safety Levels established by the Federal food and drug admits ration would be accepted or foods drugs cosmetics and medical devices. We tried to draw a the so people who have to obey the Law know what to do said Thomas e War incr the Sale s undersecretary of health and welfare adding that the standards would a adjusted continually. The regulations also gave qualified endorsement to a proposal by supermarket to avoid having to Label every product by to slug a ic4frcc information number Al Endrai California gov. Friday ffibruary26, 1988 environmentalists immediately threatened to sue. The existing Federal Lav in t Tough enough said David Floe senior lawyer for the environmental defense fund in Oakland and a co author of the raw. Tha people o California did t go to Al this trouble just to endorse the ensling  he also carted the supamarliets1 Telephone listing a bogus warning the fund along with the National resources defense Council and other groups plans to fiks suit after the Law lakes effect challenging the regulations. Speaking of companies a Hector by Tho ,said i would my Lake much Comfort in the  the grocery manufacturers of America defended the rules. We have an 80 year history of Strong Federal regulation arid then All of a sudden a vague poorly worded statute is passed said Jeffrey Nedelman a spokesman for the Industry group. Every single one of the 15,000 hems in a Market has measurable amounts of at least one of the 29 chemicals do those food products Wilh Irace no ovals pose no Signi Lical risk to human health 1 without a definition your guess is As Good As mine the environmentalists take a Cavalier Altitude they say. Thai s your problem in you make a wrong judgment we ii see you in Couil " Cali Tamia 4 huge wine Industry is particularly concerned about avoiding labels on Boll los for now the warnings Are required Only at the Point of sate in Markels. Restaurants and la veins saying Hal drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy can cause birth a elects some have conjured up images old alters having to inform female Dinos of the possible risk we Are saying that if there � any product for which Labelling is App Ronalo it is alcohol because it is Oilen drunk by people who do not buy in said Roc of Ine environmental defense fund we have no idea what the final effect will be. But it s really an of front to the integrity of the  said Sam of som of the wine in Stille. Which represents sj5 California wineries wine s Iho in adminal drink of moderation with thousands of years of history and now it s being branded a hazardous concoction businesses Are deeply Woi nod. Loo. By lha Bounty Pio Visson two weeks ago. Its environmental defense fund the natural resources Welense Council and the Sierra club California held a conference coded winning under prop g5 to train lawyers in bringing sums against companies Lor the 25 percent Bounly lawyers were advised to locus on the most serious violations while being reminded Hal tha Law shills the Ixia Cist of proof of safety onto the companies preposition 65 is a n Otmaro said John Groc nod. Spokesman Lor advanced Micro devices Iho semiconductor maker. The vultures Are already in cling uncertainty and conclusion reign among retailers manufacturers and employers. John Hunter a lobbyist for the grocers. Predicted that there would tie considerable Over warning at full. Cilmo uncertainty Aboul what exactly most be induced in tha warnings. The stars and stripes Page 13