SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 14, 2006--News From USW: The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) Science Advisory Board's Carcinogen Identification Committee (CIC) will decide on Thursday, November 16 whether or not to conduct an expedited review of the carcinogenicity of the Teflon-chemical, PFOA.

A review is the next step toward having PFOA listed as chemical known to the state to cause cancer under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, more commonly called Proposition 65. If the chemical is listed, companies could be required to place warnings on products that expose consumers to PFOA.

Environmental, labor and consumer groups in support of a February petition for an expedited review of PFOA will testify and be on hand to talk to reporters.

The groups have criticized the CIC and other state experts for taking too long to list chemicals and for taking as many chemicals off the Proposition 65 list as they have put on. The CIC will also consider taking a different chemical off the list during the meeting.

PFOA is used to make Teflon cookware, and is found in stain- and water-repellents applied to carpet, clothing and food packaging such as microwave popcorn. Dr. Thomas Mack, chair of the CIC, asked OEHHA to put PFOA on the meeting's agenda because of widespread human exposure and the fact that the majority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board concluded that PFOA should be described as a likely human carcinogen.

ATTN Assignment Editors:

WHO: Environmental, labor and consumer groups

WHAT: The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA Science Advisory Board's Carcinogen Identification Committee (CIC) will consider an expedited, carcinogenicity review of PFOA

WHEN: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2006, beginning at 10:00 a.m. (For an agenda, go to http://www.oehha.ca.gov.)

WHERE: California Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters Building, Byron Sher Auditorium, at 1001 I Street, Sacramento, California

Copyright Business Wire 2006

United Steelworkers (USW)

United Steelworkers (USW)

The USW is the largest industrial union in North America with 850,000 members. It represents workers employed in metals, rubber, chemicals, paper and mining, plus the energy sectors of oil refining, nuclear, gas and electric service utilities, wind, solar and bio-fuels.

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