Governor Schwarzenegger signed two broad laws regulating chemicals known to cause cancer, hormone disruption and other health problems, Monday. The laws will encompass 80,000 chemicals currently in circulation and aim to inventory and regulate them at the manufacturing stage, before they are handled by workers, put into products or released into the air or earth. Automakers, including Ford Motors Co., and electrical companies have lobbied heavily against the legislation, saying that they already adhere to strict European standards, and are concerned that some chemicals they deem invaluable will be placed under regulation. Employers are also concerned about the potential for having to create California-specific labels that differ from those placed on products intended for Europe.
See "California launches broad effort to control hazardous chemicals", Margot Roosevelt, Los Angeles Times, September 30, 2008