Proposition 65 Safe Harbor Warnings Upheld

In Environmental Law Foundation v. Wykle Research, Inc., the California Court of Appeal affirmed a decision awarding summary judgment to Wykle Research, which used one of Proposition 65's "safe harbor" warnings to warn of lead in dental amalgam. ELF challenged the warning, which used the safe harbor language verbatim, on the grounds that it was not likely ever to reach the ultimate consumer. The court acknowledged that, as many dentists are not subject to Proposition 65's warning requirements, it was possible that some consumers would never receive the warning. But it concluded that the safe harbor warnings were designed to provide certainty to product sellers and that this purpose would be frustrated by holding that a manufacturer must use not just a safe harbor warning, but also the best possible warning. Proposition 65's warning requirements are often difficult to interpret for specific sellers, and any decision that brings greater certainty to Proposition 65's requirements is welcome.