California Disclosure

Mystic Knotwork is a small workshop in Downtown Mystic.  Our historic building was erected in 1832.  The shop has been used for sail and rigging repair, a hardware store, a lamp sales and repair shop, and before us a second hand clothing store.  There were possibly other non-disclosed uses of this town owned building. 

This disclosure should, in some form, be present on every website shipping into California.  Every large online site has a notice like this, and feel it is prudent to carry the same notification.

Prop 65 - What is Proposition 65?

This warning is appearing now because of a California law passed in 1986. You will hear it called Proposition 65, but its formal name is the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act. Proposition 65 requires warnings to be placed on the website of any maker or distributor of products into the State of California that contain any of the 975 plus chemicals considered by the California Air Resources Board to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. Since the law was passed, California has added chemicals to and deleted chemicals from the list. Many of the elements listed are common everyday items. Any company that operates in California, sells products in California, or manufactures or distributes products that may be sold in California is subject to complying with Proposition 65 requirements.  While no product at Mystic Knotwork, llc knowingly contains any of the currently listed common materials, there is no restriction on putting the warning up as a 'safe harbor.'

We are proactively including the warning to meet the Proposition 65 requirements. There are penalties for not complying with Proposition 65, and failure to include the warning may result in a civil penalty of $2500 per day. The warning used is one that is considered to comply with Proposition 65 consumer warning requirements.

What is it and why was it created? Proposition 65, also known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, was created by the State of California to address residents concern with exposure to toxic chemicals. Originally, the proposition was intended to protect drinking water sources from toxic substances, although it has recently been expanded to a much larger spectrum. According to the Los Angeles Times, "Warnings (about Proposition 65) are everywhere: parking lots, hardware stores, hospitals and just about any decent-sized business."

Our products are made from American made raw materials and hardware sourced through distributors located within the United States.  

All of our supply chain is constrained by the US.  We have Consumer Product Testing reports on site for all our cotton and polyester bracelet cordage, though it is not marketed for use by children. All metals, including gold (less than 24 ct), sterling silver, brass, bronze, stainless steel, and carbon steels contain or are exposed to chemicals within the Proposition 65 list.  (the crust of your bread must have a disclosure)

There are, as the time of this writing, over 975 chemicals on the California list labeled as carcinogen or a reproductive toxin by the OEHHA (California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment).  Many are common chemicals and elements such as:  brass, nickel, wood dust, and grilled meat are included as well.

In order to comply with Proposition 65, we were advised to supply the following notice: 

WARNING: May contain chemicals or agents related to Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

This is the list of possible agents contained:  https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/proposition-65-list