Following are 2 Gas Warning examples mailed to
Californians.
PROPOSITION
65
PUBLIC
WARNING
The Safe
Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, commonly referred
to as Proposition 65, requires the Governor to publish a list
of chemicals "known to the State to cause cancer, birth
defects or reproductive harm " It also requires California
businesses to warn the public quarterly of potential exposures
to these chemicals which result from their operations.
Pacific
Gas and Electric Company uses chemicals in its operations that
are "known to the State of California to cause cancer,
birth defects or reproductive harm."
For example,
PG&E uses fossil fuels (natural gas and petroleum products)
in its operations. The combustion of fossil fuels can generate
by-products such as carbon monoxide, soot, cnd formlaldhyde.
These chemicals are "known to the State of California to
cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm." Use
of natural gas in home or commercial appliances can also produce
these combustion by-products. Properly operating gas appliances
create less carbon monoxide and soot.
PG&E
conducts sandblasting at power plants and compressor stations,
which can release sand. Sand naturally contains crystalline
silica, a chemical "known to the State of California to
cause cancer"
Natural
gas, in its original state, contains radon and benzene, chemicals
"known to the State of California to cause cancer."
It also contains toluene, a chemical "known to the State
of California to cause reproductive harm." The benzene
and toluene are destroyed when natural gas is burned. Radon
does not burn but is released with the combustion by-products.
Radon and natural gas combustion by-products can generally be
removed through appliance vents and other exhaust systems.
A warning
odorant is added to natural gas so that leaks of unburned gas
can be quickly detected. If gas odor is detected, PG&E should
be contacted promptly.
PG&E
provides a free service to check and adjust your home gas appliances.
Please call your local PG&E office if you would like your
gas appliances checked.
For additional
information on this Proposition 65 warning, write to PG&E
at PO. Box 7640, San Francisco, CA 94120.
Safety Series
Proposition
65 Warning
As a result
of Proposition 65, the State of California lists substances
known to cause cancer or reporoductive harm.
We want
you to be aware of the following so you can minimize possible
exposure to substances of the state's list related to natural
gas service.
Facilitiles
and Work Sites
Some materials,
such as paint, gasoline, natural gas and tobacco smoke found
at or around our facilities, motor vehicles and work sites contains
subsatnces on the state's list, such as benzene. We handle all
materials carefully for our good health as well as yours. However,
exposure to substances on the state's list will occur at or
near these locations.
Natural
Gas Leaks
Small amounts
of substances on the state's list, such as benzene, are found
in natural gas. If gas is leaking, exposure to these substances
will occur. To minimize possible exposure leave the area of
the gas leak and call us immeadiately.
Natural
Gas Combustion
Combustion,
including burning natural gas, produces substances on the state's
list such as soot. To minimize exposure, operate gas equipment
according to manufacturers' instructions.
The Gas
Company©
Glad to
be of service
Southern
California Gas Company 9606-14 6/96
Did you catch the important public disclosure? The warnings
say chemicals such as Benzene, Toluene, Radon and Soot are dumped
directly into your home by the utility.
Did you
know gas utilities dump their hazardous waste inside your home?
Did anyone ask for your permission? Were you properly notified?
Were there any environmental impact studies performed at your
dump site, before, during and after? Have any occupant health
effect studies been performed?
Did you
know gas utilitys also dump PCBs inside your home along with
other hazardous waste? The reason you don't know, is because
they choose not to warn you that PCBs contaminate natural gas.
Are you
being paid a fair-market dumping fee? Do you have proper insurance
coverage to collect and store hazardous waste after incineration?
Do you have the proper hazardous waste incineration equipment
at your disposal site?
These gas
warnings published in California are the only public disclosure
that gas utilities knowningly dump chemical waste inside the
consumer's premises.
It must
be noted that various California gas utilities are allowed their
own interpretation about what constitutes adequate public warning.
No other state has such contaminated gas warning laws to protect
their citizens.
The exampled
gas warnings reproduced here are representative of the California
gas utility requirements under the State's Proposition 65 and
do not represent all of California Gas Utilitys. Other California
gas utility warnings may differ from these examples.
Utilitys
outside California don't even go this far in warning their consumers
or the public at large.