"Between 1,000 to 1,500 stoneworkers in California could develop silicosis within the next decade, leading to roughly 285 deaths, according to California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA. The state is home to about 5,000 countertop fabrication workers, predominantly Latino immigrants. To save lives, the Governor's Office could issue an emergency declaration pausing the processing of artificial stone until a permanent ban is pursued through rulemaking, according to a Sept. 4 memorandum obtained by KQED."
"Farmworker families, teachers and environmental justice groups across California are demanding stronger protections from the fumigant pesticide 1,3-dichloropropene, saying the state's newest regulation allows exposure far above what health experts consider safe. The chemical, also known as 1,3-D or by its brand name Telone, is a cancer-causing soil fumigant widely used on berry, grape, almond and walnut crops. It is banned in several countries."
Between 1,000 and 1,500 stoneworkers in California could develop silicosis within the next decade, potentially causing about 285 deaths. California employs roughly 5,000 countertop fabrication workers, predominantly Latino immigrants. A Sept. 4 memorandum recommended an emergency declaration to pause processing of artificial stone while pursuing a permanent ban through rulemaking; the memorandum was drafted by a committee of doctors, occupational safety experts and worker advocates but was not sent and had not been vetted. Separately, farmworker families, teachers and environmental justice groups say current regulation of 1,3-dichloropropene allows exposure well above expert safety levels; 1,3-D (Telone) is a carcinogenic soil fumigant used on berry, grape, almond and walnut crops and is banned in several countries.
Read at Kqed
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