Proposition 65 Compliance

 

October 24, 2018

Dear Valued Customer of GWW Group/Ameritage Carrying Cases:

I trust this letter finds you and your business doing well. I want to extend my appreciation for your valued business. We are grateful for the continued opportunity to serve you.

Proposition 65 warnings can be found on many manufacturers' products and packaging, including ours. These warnings are a result of a California State Law passed in 1986—the California Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, also commonly known as Proposition 65. Read on for more information on Proposition 65 Warnings.

What is Proposition 65?

The purpose of Prop 65 is to ensure the public is informed about the potential exposure to chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.

Proposition 65 requires the State of California to publish a list of these chemicals. This list currently contains over 900 chemicals and continues to expand.

The law also requires companies to provide a warning on their products and/or packaging if they contain these chemicals. Chemicals on this list can be found in many everyday items. A warning must be given if the listed chemical is present in a product unless it can be demonstrated that the chemical poses “no significant risk.” For chemicals that can cause cancer, the ‘no significant risk' level is defined as the level, which is calculated to result in not more than one excess case of cancer in 100,000 individuals exposed over a 70-year lifetime.

Our products may have traces of various chemicals that are on the list, but they are all a part of the normal manufacturing process. Furthermore, these chemicals are contained within the product materials.

What does a Proposition 65 warning mean?

The warning does not mean our products will cause cancer or reproductive harm. Proposition 65 may be best defined as a “Right to Know” law and Proposition 65 warnings are not an indication that a product is violating safety standards or regulations. 

 

What is GWW/Ameritage doing about this?

With the new regulations requiring a warning symbol as well as the name of a particular chemical, we have diligently looked at the materials we use and their chemical composition. Because we cannot guarantee these chemicals are within ‘safe-harbor levels' we have opted to list the chemicals below. Please note all chemicals are an integral part of our cases and never posed a problem for any of our customers or employees.

The chemicals are as follows:

Vinyl Chloride (Vinyl Covering). May cause Cancer
Styrene (in polystyrene and fiberglass). May cause Cancer
Trace Nickel (Hardware) May cause cancer
Silica (Softening agent in plush and fabric covering). May cause cancer
Wood Dust. May Cause Cancer
Lead. May cause cancer and reproductive harm.

 

For more information on Proposition 65, visit the state of California's Proposition 65 website at: https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/

Thanks again, for the continued opportunity to serve you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me personally.

Warmest Regards,
GWW & Ameritage Carrying Cases.

 

Tim Flynn
President