Jul 18 – State Set to Add Methanol to Prop. 65 Warning List

An article from the Orange County Business Journal on the likely addition of Methanol to California’s Prop 65 list:

Companies in coatings, automotive and adhesives are bracing for yet another listing of a popular solvent as hazardous.

State regulators are close to listing solvent methanol as a hazardous chemical under the state’s Proposition 65 law, requiring employers that use methanol to notify workers and neighbors that they could face harmful health effects.

Methanol is a “wood alcohol” that’s used in antifreeze, cleansing solutions, varnishes, paints and adhesives. It’s commonly used as a chemical agent to help make other industrial chemicals, such as formaldehyde.

Last month, scientists with the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment at the California Environmental Protection Agency released a report saying it is considering listing methanol as a hazardous chemical under Proposition 65.