"The group aims to begin piloting business certification in Southern California, the nation's silicosis epicenter, as early as this summer, according to testimony by ISFA's CEO Laurie Weber to California regulators Thursday in Sacramento. The audit and training program, which would be expanded statewide later in the year, aims to protect workers without banning artificial stone, she added. "We believe that bans happen when systems fail, and we're here to help fix the system," Weber said. "We want an opportunity to sit at the table and talk about how to solve this together.""
"The testimony came a day after Cambria and other beleaguered industry representatives testified before a U.S. House subcommittee in support of a bill that would immunize their companies from hundreds of lawsuits by sick stoneworkers. H.R. 5437, introduced by California Rep. Tom McClintock last September, would prohibit civil lawsuits against stone slab manufacturers or sellers for harm resulting from the alteration of their products and dismiss pending claims."
California regulators are considering a ban on high-silica engineered stone linked to silicosis that has killed stonecutters. Industry groups plan a voluntary audit, training and business certification pilot in Southern California this summer, with statewide expansion later, aiming to protect workers while avoiding a ban. Industry leaders argue bans result from system failures and propose self-regulation to fix those systems. Cambria and other manufacturers backed H.R. 5437 to bar civil lawsuits against stone slab makers for harm from product alteration and to dismiss pending claims. Cambria supplies roughly 40–50% of artificial stone.
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