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After five years in the works, a California law intended to educate consumers about harmful chemicals in the products they buy and require businesses to adopt safer alternatives is only days away from taking effect.

The green-chemistry law, known formally as the Safer Consumer Products Regulations, goes into effect Tuesday, and on Thursday, the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control released a list of 164 chemicals that have been identified as dangerous to health or the environment.

Next, the agency will select products that contain one or more of those chemicals and encourage manufacturers to use non-harmful alternatives in their products.

The public won’t see the full effects of the regulations for years, but state officials, consumer advocates, environmentalists and some businesses said California will be a healthier place to live as a result.

“I believe that once we are up and running with the program, consumers can feel much more confident that manufacturers are designing products without the need for toxic chemicals,” said Debbie Raphael, director of the Department of Toxic Substances Control.

The Safer Consumer Products Regulations are similar to Proposition 65, the 1986 state law that requires warning labels on products that contain high amounts of dangerous chemicals.