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Omni Filters - Trying to comply with California laws.....
California
Certifications are found here
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/device/Documents/
WTD%202011/Section5CompleteDB2011.pdf
CDPH (California
Department of Public Health) does not
currently regulate devices that make aesthetic claims. Aesthetic
claims include improvement in taste, odor and appearance.
Also, CDPH does
not currently regulate backpacking or camping filters, sports
bottles or shower filters.
If you have question, concerns or
need to return an item, call customer service. We try hard to
comply with all laws of all 50 states, and all international laws, but if
we or our shopping cart has made an error, we will gladly refund your
purchase price and shipping.
CALIFORNIA PROP 65 WARNING NOTICE:
THE MATERIALS USED IN OR ON ANY, ALL OR NONE OF OUR PRODUCTS MAY OR MAY NOT CONTAIN CHEMICALS KNOWN TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS OR OTHER REPRODUCTIVE HARM.
Because of the sheer number of listed
chemicals and minimal amounts triggering warning requirements, there are
countless goods or services in California that fall within the purview
of California's Proposition 65.
There are currently about 800 chemicals on
the list which require businesses to provide a warning before knowingly
and intentionally exposing anyone to any of the 800 listed chemicals.
See Cal. Health & Safety Code §25249.6. Additionally, a warning
must be given unless the business can demonstrate that exposure to the
chemical poses “no significant risk level” of cancer, or “no
observable effect level” of birth defects or reproductive harm.
There are certain chemicals in plastics that
are on the list. Since the cartridges & units have plastic we are
required by California to have the Prop 65 statement on any products to
be able to sell them in California.
(Note that alcohol and aspirin are on their
list, and would require the warning as well. People ingest those
"chemicals" every day.)
Nearly all businesses in the state post similar notices on their
premises, even when they are unaware of any listed chemicals being
present. Warning signs are always posted at gas stations, hardware
suppliers, grocery stores, drug stores, and medical facilities. Most
government agencies, parking garages, apartment complexes, retail
stores, banks, and restaurants also post warning signs because of the
possibility of hazardous chemicals being present in everyday items, such
as a car or a computer, or because tobacco smoke from a passerby might
drift in through an open window. Some large businesses, such as utility
companies, mail a Prop 65 notice to all customers each year to warn them
of dangerous substances like natural gas or the sand used in
sandblasting.
The term “no significant risk level” means the level of exposure to the listed chemical every day for 70 years that would result in not more than 1/100,000.00 chance of developing cancer for an exposed person. See 22
Cal. Code Reg. §§12701–821.) The term “no observable effect level” means the level of exposure determined not to cause harm to human or laboratory animals divided by 1,000. See
Cal. Health & Safety Code §25249.8; see also Consumer Advocacy Group, Inc. v. Kintetsu Enters. of Am., 141 Cal.App.4th 46, 59 (2006) (finding no judicial controversy as to chemicals parties agreed fell within “no significant risk level” provided under Prop. 65); see also
Consumer Cause, Inc. v. Smile Care, 91 Cal.App.4th 454, 477 (2001) (reversing summary judgment for defendant dental office where dental o f fice did not show by scientific evidence that small amount of mercury in dental amalgam was 1,000 below no observable effect level). If exposure is 1/1000 of the no observable effect level, then the business must provide a Prop. 65 warning notice.
Proposition 65 (formally titled "The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986") is a California law passed by direct voter initiative in 1986 by a 63%-37% vote. Its goals are to protect drinking water sources from toxic substances that cause cancer and birth defects and to reduce or eliminate exposures to those chemicals generally, for example in consumer products, by requiring warnings in advance of those exposures. It is administered by Cal/EPA's California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).[1] Proposition 65 regulates substances officially listed by California as causing cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm in two ways. The first regulatory arm of Proposition 65 prohibits businesses from knowingly discharging listed substances into drinking water sources, or onto land where the substances can pass into drinking water sources.
The second regulatory arm of Proposition 65 prohibits businesses from knowingly exposing individuals to listed substances without providing a clear and reasonable warning.
Some businesses in the state post similar notices on their premises, even when they have not evaluated the actual level of risk from a listed chemical they know is
present. Warning signs are often posted at gas stations, hardware
suppliers, grocery stores, drug stores, medical facilities, and many other
businesses. Government agencies, parking garages, hotels, apartment
complexes, retail stores, banks, and restaurants also post warning signs because of the possibility of hazardous chemicals being present in everyday items or the nearby environment. Some large businesses, such as utility companies, mail a Prop 65 notice to all customers each year to warn them of dangerous substances like natural
gas or the sand used in sandblasting.
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In its current state, California's Proposition 65 is a catch-all for huge list of substances which if used on any product in California, must comply with the required warning labels. Because of the way that Proposition 65 is written, the warning label must be used, even if only a minute amount of a substance is present.
The warning labels required by Proposition 65 do not present information about the safety or the risk of the products; the warning about lead, for example, does not specify the actual amount of lead that is present or whether any particular amount is harmful. The requirement for a warning label is triggered when the amount of a regulated substance in a product exceeds a certain regulatory level, which is very low in the case of lead. According to the way Proposition 65 is worded and with the limited data about effects of exposure to lead, the labeling must be done if the total daily lead intake exceeds just 0.5 micrograms (µg).
In fact, many contend that Proposition 65 is really just a nuisance which does little more than provide ammunition for private citizens to collect damages from companies that they don’t like. Wikipedia says,
Labeling requirements conceded the reality that listing and classifying substances did not help the consumer if the contents of a purchase were unknown. At the same time, there were no other labeling requirements to support the proposition. Industry critics and corporate defense lawyers charge that Proposition 65 is “a clever and irritating mechanism used by litigious NGOs and others to publicly spank politically incorrect opponents ranging from the American gun industry to seafood retailers, etc.”
In addition, because the law allows private citizens to sue and collect damages from any business violating the law, there have been cases of lawyers and law firms using Proposition 65 to force monetary settlements out of California businesses. The Attorney General’s office has cited several instances of settlements where plaintiff attorneys received significant awards without providing for environmental benefit to the people of California, resulting in the requirement of the Attorney General’s approval of pre-trial Proposition 65 settlements.
Given the proposition’s overly broad scope, even companies who aren’t using hazardous materials, simply go ahead and post the warnings, perhaps, if only to say “don’t sue us!” Wikipedia says,
Nearly all businesses in the state post similar notices on their premises, even when they are unaware of any listed chemicals being present. Warning signs are always posted at gas stations, hardware suppliers, grocery stores, drug stores, and medical facilities. Most government agencies, parking garages, apartment complexes, retail
stores, banks, and restaurants also post warning signs because of the possibility of hazardous chemicals being present in everyday items, such as a car or a computer, or because tobacco smoke from a passerby might drift in through an open window. Some large businesses, such as utility companies, mail a Prop 65 notice to all customers each year to warn them of dangerous substances like natural gas or the sand used in sandblasting.
Warning labels that warn against any infinitesimal risk are essentially useless. The outbreak of warning labels spawned by Proposition 65 is so widespread that consumers are being conditioned to ignore them. Even if some of these labels are trying to warn us against a legitimate risk, we are likely to ignore them since these labels “cry wolf” more often than they protect us.
http://consumerist.com/2008/07/21/do-warning-labels-on-flashlights-really-mean-anything/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_65
http://www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65/prop65_list/Newlist.html
List of chemicals
The Law
CALIFORNIA PROP 65 WARNING:
THE MATERIALS USED IN OR ON ANY, ALL OR NONE OF OUR PRODUCTS MAY OR MAY NOT CONTAIN CHEMICALS KNOWN TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS OR OTHER REPRODUCTIVE HARM.
=================================================
OmniFilter's California
Certifications are found here
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/device/Documents/
WTD%202011/Section5CompleteDB2011.pdf
CDPH does not
currently regulate devices that make aesthetic claims. Aesthetic
claims include improvement in taste, odor and appearance.
Also, CDPH does
not currently regulate backpacking or camping filters, sports
bottles or shower filters.
If you have question, concerns or
need to return an item, call customer service.
=========================================================
Next.....
CA Transparency in Supply Chains Act Required Disclosure
As part of our standard terms and conditions and principles of supplier
conduct, we require our suppliers to comply with all applicable laws and not
to engage in or support the use of child labor or forced or involuntary labor.
However, under the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010, we
are required to disclose that we currently do not:
- engage in verification of product supply chains to evaluate and address
the risks of human trafficking and slavery in the supply chains;
- conduct audits of suppliers to evaluate their compliance with company
standards for human trafficking and slavery in supply chains;
- require direct suppliers to certify that materials incorporated into the
product comply with the laws regarding slavery and human trafficking of
the country or countries in which these suppliers are doing business;
- maintain internal accountability standards and procedures for employees
or contractors failing to meet company standards regarding slavery and
human trafficking; or
- provide training on human trafficking and slavery to company employees
and management who have direct responsibility for supply chain management,
particularly with respect to mitigating risks within the product supply
chain.
==============================================
Next....
California Law - Assembly Bill 119,
(Which makes significant changes to
the Water Treatment Device Program of California Department of Public
Health)
The
Governor has signed Assembly Bill 119, which makes significant changes to
the Water Treatment Device Program of CDPH. The major provisions of
AB 119 go into effect on January 1, 2014. The statute is
available at www.leginfo.ca.gov or
by clicking on this link: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/asm/ab_0101-0150/ab_119_bill_20130916_enrolled.pdf.
Certified
Water Treatment Devices - Frequently Asked Questions
There
are hundreds of California-certified drinking water treatment devices.
Carbon filters are the most common type of device, typically sold in the
form of counter top, faucet-mount or under counter models. Other types of
technologies available include distillation, reverse-osmosis,
ion-exchange, ceramic filter, and ultraviolet light.
When
a manufacturer claims that a drinking water treatment device will reduce
toxic chemicals or makes other health related performance claims, the
device must be certified by the California Department of Public
Health (CDPH) [Health & Safety Code Section 116830].
CDPH
certification means that the device has been tested by an independent,
state-approved laboratory (1) to verify the manufacturer's health-related
performance claims, and (2) to ensure that materials within the device do
not add contaminants to the treated water.
CDPH certifies
devices for specific health claims such as:
- "Reduces THMs,
2,4-D, DBCP, lindane, TCE, PCE" (examples of organic chemicals)
- "Reduces lead,
copper, mercury" (examples of heavy metals)
- "Reduces
bacteria, cysts, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, viruses" (examples of
microbiological contaminants)
CDPH
certified water treatment devices are generally not intended for use where
the raw water quality, such as ditch water, lake, pond or river water is
unknown. CDPH certified water treatment devices are not intended to treat
toxic wastes or waters with elevated levels of dangerous chemicals or in
conditions where pH extremes might be encountered.
CDPH
does not regulate shower filters, sports bottles or outdoor recreation
water filters. CDPH does not regulate water softeners or water
filters that make only aesthetic claims. Examples of aesthetic claims are
claims to reduce taste and odor, including chlorine.
Independent
and nationally recognized testing organizations National Sanitation
Foundation (NSF), Water Quality Association (WQA) and Underwriter
Laboratories (UL) evaluate and certify water treatment devices that meet
minimum criteria for aesthetics claims under ANSI/NSF Standard 42.
You
should consider the following when deciding if you need or want a home
water treatment device:
- Does anyone in your
household have a compromised immune system (chemotherapy, transplant
patient, HIV) that would require drinking water of a higher quality
than is required by the general public? For more information, call the
EPA Hotline 1-800-426-4791.
- Are
you concerned with taste, odor, appearance, chlorine content, high
mineral content (total dissolved solids, TDS), or hardness only? These
devices are not regulated by CDPH. However, NSF International, Water
Quality Association and Underwriter Laboratories (independent testing
organizations) do certify the performance of water treatment devices
for aesthetic claims. Look for the NSF, UL or WQA mark on packaging,
advertising and the Performance Data Sheet.
- Are
you concerned about contaminants that might affect your health? You
can obtain information about your water quality (see below).
If you believe that your water needs additional treatment, CDPH
maintains a list of certified Water Treatment Devices in its directory.
The
easiest place to get this information is from the annual report (Consumer
Confidence Report)
published by your water utility (usually included with your water bill).
State regulations require each community water system to provide specific
information on water quality to their customers.
If you are on a private well, ask your
county environmental health department if it can provide any water quality
information for your area. Your can also have your water tested by a
private laboratory.
Generally
not, as testing can be expensive. However, having your water tested will
tell you whether there are unacceptably high levels of any tested
contaminant. Laboratories that test water samples are listed in the Yellow
Pages under "Laboratories - Analytical". The lab you choose
should be certified by CDPH's Environmental
Laboratory Accreditation Program --
be sure to ask.
Sometimes
household plumbing fixtures and materials can contribute contaminants such
as lead or copper to the water. If you think that you may have a lead
problem, have your water tested. If the test results show lead in your
water, purchase a unit certified for lead reduction and remember to change
the filter cartridges. Also, caution household members, especially
children, to flush the tap before use.
- The device must have
a label that includes the CDPH certification number.
- A copy of the CDPH
issued certificate must accompany the device. The certificate lists
the contaminants that the filter has proven to effectively reduce. The
certificate can be on the Product Data Sheet, separately inserted into
the packaging, or a part of the owners manual.
Yes,
many fraudulent water treatment devices are being marketed. If a device is
being sold on the basis of health claims and is not certified, there are
two problems: (1) there is no reason to believe that it works as
advertised and the product warranty and replacement parts will not solve
the problem, and (2) the device is being sold illegally in California.
Here are some questions to ask about any water treatment device that is
being sold on the basis of health claims:
To
report a suspected uncertified device, send the written material you
received (containing health claims and the name of the device) along with
the salesperson's business card to CDPH at the address below for follow-up
investigation.
For
More Information
For
more information about certification
of residential
water treatment devices, contact us at:
California
Department of Public Health
DDWEM-Technical Operations Section,
Device Certification Unit
P.O. Box 997377, MS 7417
1616 Capitol Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95899-7377
(916) 449-5600 (phone)
(916) 449-5656 (fax)
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